Sometimes you just have to let go and let God take care of things!

The control freak in me has a very HARD time doing this sometimes.  I can admit it, I am a serious control freak and I won't apologize for it.  I ams what I am!   Well, as suspected mom is being released tomorrow to a Skilled Nursing Facility.  We were told that Brookside in San Mateo had accepted her and I did my due diligence and determined that it was a place with good reviews & ratings and should work out fine.   Well, today the Social Worker calls me and says that the insurance company won't approve Brookside because mom is still under "Health Net San Francisco County", her "Health Net San Mateo County" does not become effective until 5/1- so we are once again at the mercy of the friggin' insurance companies!   You'd think that someone logical could see through all of this and come to a better resolution and back-date her policy to 4/1 or something like that- but no, seems like it's all black & white- no gray areas to be found!

So I had my typical freak out moment, then the Social worker called me with the "approved" places so I could at least do my homework.  Because the Social Worker works at a San Mateo County hospital, she is not familiar with any of these places in S.F.  I was just happy to learn that the place mom stayed at in February was not on the list.  Thankfully!    There were two in S.F. and one in Pacifica.  By the end of the day, I had received a call from "Jewish home" in S. F. and it sounds like this is the place that mom will be transferred to tomorrow.    My first instinct when faced with something that I cannot control, is to find the positive in the situation.  Thankfully, I am a half full type of person and am normally an optimistic being.   Jewish Home is located on Silver Avenue- right in mom's old neighborhood.   Parking is plentiful and free.  It's a nice, modern facility- I'm not even sure what used to be in its place.  They are not a hospital with SNF attached- this is a placed designed for Skilled Nursing, Rehab and extended stays if needed for Assisted Living.  However, they have a full nursing and therapy staff to tend to all needs.   I think that this place may actually be a good social outlet for mom since she will be in her neighborhood, some of her friends should be able to come visit her and since she has not seen her friends for almost 3 months now- I think it may do all of them some good!

The hard part with this is the distance and my desire to go visit as much as possible.  It sucks to be in a facility of any sort.  I also know that my mother enjoys her daily newspaper.  So I need to figure out a way to get that to her.  It would be ideal if they get the paper at Jewish Home without doing anything with her subscription.   It's all this logistical crap that drives me nuts- but it's important that she's happy and kept occupied with things that make her happy.  She does her jumble puzzle in the paper, she enjoys her wine with dinner (hoping they can accommodate her at Jewish Home with that)..anyway, I hope that this part of her journey goes quick and smoothly and that she is able to recover quickly and get back to life at Woodside Terrace.   I am going to try to coordinate visits with some of her friends so that they can cover days that I know I won't be able to be there.  Of course, the timing is crazy with Alaska College trip Wednesday-Friday of next week and then NY College trip Sunday-Monday following...with 3 days back before I leave for my conference at Sea....leaving me out of touch for 8 days.  Any other time and I would welcome that detachment from society and life and all the "connections" that we have day to day - but unless my mother is safely back at Woodside Terrace by then, it's going to be very hard for me to enjoy being away.

This has certainly been an enlightening, learning process.  I have been touched by so many people through this process.   Tonight I taught my last class at Fitness 101 since they will be closing at the end of the month.  The instructor who teaches the class before mine asked how my mom was doing. Another one of my students asked me after class how my mom was doing.  These are once a week people in my life who have really paid attention, who have really shown that they care.  It's pretty freaking awesome.   It was a great class tonight- even if there were only 3 people there.  With the gym closing, many of the members have moved onto other gyms.

I have had a pretty demanding week otherwise- work has been crazy busy- which is good.  I did experience the "IRS taketh away" on Tuesday as I wrote the painful check, but was fairly relieved today when "cruises lines giveth back" in the form of some commission payments.  Not the total amount and we'll see once I pay all of the upcoming bills just how much that helps...still hate the tax man!   But nice to be busy and know that this too shall pass.    My classes at the gym have been going well, but I need to get in my own workouts, it is just not possible right now.  That part is killing me, I am also not eating right- so feeling like a blimp- the same 5 pounds now for the past 7 months up/down/up/down.  I am determined to lose weight on our cruise- I am going to work out and dance as much as I can.  Of course, my foot has been giving me grief too!  Always something!

I just got word that there is a Body Pump AIM1 workshop in May locally and I really want to go, but I need to discuss with Bill because it will mean deserting him with our house guests and making him drive them to SF to catch their cruise ship- he is not a city boy.  But I really want to do this!

I am very happy that tomorrow is Friday and we have a busy weekend ahead- one that just now got busier with visits to SF...but excited to go dancing tomorrow night, we have Brynn's first play on Saturday (must remember to buy her some flowers for after the performance), then Saturday night- Kenny G at Yoshi's!   Sunday- church and brunch with a fabulous bunch of ladies to celebrate three birthdays!  Should be a great morning/afternoon and I'm hoping that I can enjoy some sunshine in the afternoon...we are expecting great temperatures this weekend!