Childing?

Is the opposite of parenting childing? As in when adult children take care of aging parents?

Whatever it is called, doing it from a distance stinks!

In other words, yesterday afternoon, I got one of those phone messages from my brother that one never wants to get. "Call me. About Dad." That's it, just thosew four words. Well, it wasn't quite as bad as I'd worried for the 37 seconds it took to get Ted on the phone.

Turns out my remaining parent managed to have a car accident. Don't know details of the accident yet (and the police dept. won't give any over the phone and can't fax long distance, and HIPA laws keep the hospital from saying much) but I'm guessing the year old Camry is totaled.

But the minister from Dad's church* and a family friend have seen him and say he's in decent shape, considering that he's 77, on handsful of medications for various and sundry heart conditions, and so on. He's in the trauma ICU at the hospital where he had the ICD put in at back in September, and evidently this hospital has the best trauma center in NYS (at least according to their website). The family friend who went to see him this morning is a retired nurse and she recognized some of the staff, telling me they were good. So that is reassuring, at least., despite the 'in ICU in serious condition' bit.

I got the mail stopped, will call about the paper today, and found the insurance info to start the claim process. I also called a good friend and cried on her shoulder (at least as much as that can be done through a phone line......) Updated the blog while waiting for phone calls with more info. And knit some on a shawl for me.

Dad was planning to drive down to Ted's on Monday for Thanksgiving but that's not happening, I'd guess. So, instead of rushing to Buffalo just to watch the medical staff work on Dad in the hospital, we're thinking we will just add a day or two to the upcoming long weekend. Talked to Dad's sister (my Aunt Joni) who thought that was the sensible way to do things.

*On the very off chance anyone in western NY with leanings in the religiously liberal direction is reading, if you are looking for a church, the UU Church of Buffalo is well worth checking out. Wonderful people!