[Medusa]

I am the primary health advocate for my Pops.

We spent several years playing tug-o-war with one another about his health. Him refusing to get treatment and me getting angry, sad, resentful, hurt, anguished, and every manner of feeling in between. He agreed to get treatment back in August and we have spent the last few months going through various VA programs, getting him registered, getting his diagnosis, and rebuilding the tiny part of our relationship that suffered for the last few years.

This might be unfair but my stress level dropped 100 points when he walked in to the VA for the first time. Just knowing that he was willing to try. Willing to hope. Willing to take value of his life. Willing to WANT to be around for me, my Sister, his grandchildren.

It's still hard. Re-arranging my schedule at work has been blessedly easy due to having an amazingly good unit administrator but the VA is 35 miles each direction and it's a lot of driving.

He has 6 appointments scheduled so far for January and more will be coming.

The bright spot with all of that driving is that we get 2 hours of time with one another to chit-chat and shoot the shit, catch up on family business, and basically just love on one another.

I am getting to be the parent right now. Instead of it being really stressful anymore, I have found it joyous and such a deep blessing that I probably will label this past year with my Pops as some of the sweetest time we have ever spent with one another. I know it won't always be this easy and that it will be harder as we go on but right now, I'm just grateful for the tiny little miracles.

Peace and blessings to everyone in this thread going through the hard stuff with parents. Hug them hard and remember to be kind to yourself as well. <3