starchild228

The 15th of November was my day from hell. I worked all night, then took my mother to Ames to have surgery on her heel that morning. It was a minor surgery surrounded by hours and hours of waiting. I still prayed hard when they took her into surgery because a simple mistake in anesthesia could have killed her. She came out just fine, so after twiddling our thumbs for a few more hours they finally released her to go home. I drove her home, got her settled in with her parents looking after her. We'd spent more than 8 hrs at the hospital, and I was exhausted, but I ran into town to get her prescription pain meds filled and bring home some burgers for supper. I got back home around seven and we ate- I'd been up for 24 hours. Then, I got a call from my Dad. My grandfather was barely hanging onto life and the nurses caring for him didn't expect him to live through the night. I hopped in the car and drove straight to the care facility to be with him. My Dad, Stepmother, and Uncle were all there, and my Stepsister arrived from Waterloo about an hour after I got there. I sat at Grandpa's bedside and rubbed his arm while he struggled for breath, my Stepsister sat on his other side doing the same. We had been there for a few hours when the CNAs came in to shift him in bed, and we all filed out. When they had him settled we came back in and noticed that his breathing had become even more distressed. I was standing at his bedside by my Dad when my Grandpa's heart finally just stopped beating. The nurse pronounced him dead, and I started crying. I called my Mom and little brother on my cell phone and broke the news to them. I noticed my Stepsister was crying as well and went to sit beside her and hug her. We waited there in Grandpa's room for the representative from the funeral home to arrive and make final arrangements. I went home for a short time after that to check on my Mom. I was so exhausted at this point I was loopy. However, I was really upset and needed some comfort more than I needed sleep at that time, so I went back into town to meet my boyfriend when he got off work. He didn't really say anything, just pulled me into his arms and hugged me. That was exactly what I needed.
I worked the Sat. after Grandpa died, then took Sun. and Mon. off to attend his visitation and funeral.
My Dad's side of the family didn't really celebrate Thanksgiving afterward. My brother and I went to my Mom's where her side of the family was celebrating our Thanksgiving/ Christmas. I was really excited to see the reactions of my Uncle Ed, his wife Sarah, and my Aunt Deb to the gifts that I got for them. I'd purchased a Stevie Ray Vaughan plethora for Ed, who is obsessed with the guitar god. I got Sarah a leopard print corset top- she adores leopard print and had been talking about wanting a "bustinay" or bustier for years. I got Deb a hoodie with her all-time favorite cartoon character on it, and it also had "Feisty" on it- the second I saw it, I immediately thought of her. They were all thrilled with their gifts and I was glad they enjoyed them.
Things with my boyfriend are going really well. He's sweet, funny, and a "psychotic maniac" rather like myself, so our personalities and senses of humor are really a good fit. He stuck with me through the rockiness in my life this month and acts like he plans on sticking with me for the long haul. We've been seeing each other for almost a month now. I think about him all the time and miss him whenever we aren't together. I think I just may be falling in love.
How was everybody's Thanksgiving? Did family members drive you crazy?