What a Week

Last week was painful. Horribly painful and exhausting.

I took my mom to surgery on Monday. She had both knees replaced and is doing awesome...way better than anyone expected. She's in the rehab unit now but already ready to go home. She is walking well - they had her walking the first day after her surgery.

Tuesday my grandfather had open heart surgery. He's doing ok...still in the hospital and having some pain and nausea but all things considered he's doing good. He is 84 after all.

The biggest drama came from my little brother...little as in 30 years old. He's trying his darndest to kill himself. He's an alcoholic and has been admitted now four times in two weeks. The first time my grandpa took him in they admitted him with Pancreatitis. And a blood alcohol of .43. He was discharged after four days and taken to my moms house.

When she went into the hospital for surgery he somehow found money and walked to the liquor store and drank a fifth of vodka. My aunt called the ambulance (severe abdominal pain) and I ended up at the hospital until midnight. He was discharged Wednesday around noon...and by 4 p.m. he was back in the hospital with abdominal pain.

Alcoholics lie. He swears he didn't drink Wednesday when he got home. Yeah. Blood alcohol of .2 tells another story. He was admitted until I took him home on Friday.

He was admitted again Sunday. My mom's neighbor saw him walking down the street and asked him where he was going. To get booze.

I'm not sure how to handle this situation. I'm exhausted and emotionally drained. He's supposed to go into rehab on Wednesday. Whether it will do any good I do not know. I'd really like to have my brother back...my real brother. Not the alcoholic, lying, a**hole who has taken over his life.