Life's Unplanned Journeys

I find it amazing how life can take the best laid out plans and throw a wrench in them just as you think you're fully on track. We had goals set to be on our way to Oklahoma within the next 8 weeks but we forgot to factor in a major issue, Family.

Our daughter is going with us and of course so are the dogs so that takes care of the immediate family, but what do you do about brothers, sisters, moms and dads? The wife's parents have been supportive of the move even with the apprehensions of moving to tornado town. Of course they'd rather we not leave as their other two kids live within a mile of them, but they also know we are nothing like the other kids. (In other words we're nuts.) My parents were also very supportive until about 5 months ago when my mothers liver disease took a turn for the worse.

I sit here typing this from a hospital room, where my mother is yet again in need of a blood transfusion just to keep her going a few more weeks. The current cycle is after about two weeks she can't walk by herself, within a day or two of that she can't walk at all, then she starts getting incoherent and by the end of the third week it's back to the hospital for another transfusion to get the platelet levels up and the ammonia levels down. After three or four days she's back home and the cycle starts again. I've had to spend more time away from work and here at the house helping with her as much as I can so my sister that lives with them can get a break and doesn't have to handle it all. The other sister next door helps out a bit but is having issues with the fact that her mother is dying and most of the time can't handle it. The only advantage to it is it means I've had some extra time to get the trailers ready for the move since they're stored at my parents house.

Unfortunately it's been a rough cycle for my dad. He always thought with all his Vietnam injuries he'd be the first to go and I don't know if he ever mentally prepared himself for the chance that this might not be the case. He knows now that it will most likely happen that way, but it still doesn't mean he's ready for it and frankly with his current health I don't think he'll be with us much longer after she goes.

Thus begs the question, do we put off our plans and stay here until this issue is complete, or do we set another goal of the end of the summer and go all out for it? At this point I can only talk about it with my wife or dad. My mom has taken to crying every time I mention anything about it because it's so far away (1500 miles) and she know's she'll never be able to travel there because of her health.

At this point I just keep planning as it's all that keeps me sane....