Sunday 24 October 2010

Insulin and maple syrup.

Visiting hours are from eleven until eight daily for Jake. We're trying to choreograph our visits so that he's completely sick of us and wishing for quiet. He says we are failing miserably. He is doing very well and probably will be home early this week, where we will spoil him rotten and watch him closely.

He has diabetes. Last week when he wasn't feeling well he was going into shock. As soon as it hit me I took him to the hospital for help, because Jesus Christ, if anyone else dies in my universe I might lose what's left of my mind.

I've been assured that he's not going to die as long as he manages his disease, better than he has been. I'm not sure why he tried to hide it from us. I will wait and talk about that with Jake later when he is home. I have everything ready for him and have even spoken to his folks by phone several times. I have offered to have them flown out but they are quite elderly and somehow comforted by the fact that Jake isn't alone. Caleb and Sam have spoken to them as well to try and extend the resources we have for their disposal but they don't want to travel and I can respect that. It's fine, I will be Jake's mom too.

One person who did accept a recent invitation to come and see me?

Nolan.

God love him, I wanted to get him out of the Prairies and out here in the mountains by the sea so he could see that we're okay. We can lie on the phone and we can lie in letters but no one lies in person.

I haven't seen much of him yet, between trips to the hospital and a raucous family dinner last evening and his fathering of Ben. Ben talks to him. Son to father (figuratively, not literally), they connect and Ben is lacking that. He can talk to the other guys and he can fight with Lochlan all he wants but sometimes a fatherly influence can really ground Ben better than nailing his shoes to the verandah floor (and oh, we all wish we could do that most of the time).

Right now they're drinking coffee and listening to Pink Floyd in the dim light of a rainy morning and talking about nothing at all while Ruth draws pictures at the table between them. I'm planning an early brunch so we can head in to the hospital soon.

So yeah, time to make pancakes and sausages. Bye.