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You are here: Home / Stories from the Bungalow / Where I’ve Been…

Where I’ve Been…

January 29, 2018 By Karen Cooper 7 Comments

Hello friends,

I know it’s been a while. I wanted to let you know what’s been going on.

My mom has been/is really sick. It’s kind of a nutty story, actually.

My mom got on a plane to England to go visit my brother. As it turns out, she wasn’t feeling well before she got on the plane, but she didn’t tell anyone that.

Twenty-four hours later, she had a 102-degree fever, pneumonia, blood sugar way high, and more.

It was like she went off a cliff, health-wise.

She was in the hospital for six days. A week later, her oxygen levels were stable enough for her to fly home, and my brother flew with her back to the States. I met them at the airport when they returned.

For the next several weeks, I took care of my mom at my house.

I am boiling this down considerably, because I know this is not my story to tell. This is Mom’s story, and I fully believe that she has the right to reveal the parts of her story she wants, regardless of whether her daughter has a blog.

Fast forward to now…we have moved Mom to Atlanta to be closer to me and to get the care she needs.

Y’all, it’s hard.

It’s hard to watch your parent suffer. It’s hard to take care of your parent who is used to being independent and taking care of other people. It’s hard when your parent doesn’t quite remember what happened when she got sick and is frustrated.

It’s 8 million times harder for her, so don’t think I don’t know that. But I can’t fix this, which is frustrating to someone who used to solve problems for a living.

Logic doesn’t apply.

Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I am here. I don’t know when I’ll be doing any projects, because I’m trying to keep things together here. In addition to my mom being sick and the regular hubbub of life, we have a bar mitzvah to celebrate in a few weeks, and that kind of event doesn’t plan itself.

I hope that you all are well and having a good start to the new year. Hug your people close and tell them you love them. Be grateful if you have happy, healthy parents.

I’ll be back soon.

Love to you all. xoxo

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Filed Under: Stories from the Bungalow 7 Comments

About Karen Cooper

Hi! I'm Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer” - I traded in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY adventures. Join me for DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organizing projects and tips as I transform a 1929 Tudor bungalow into our home. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.

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Comments

  1. Marty Walden says

    January 29, 2018 at 7:36 pm

    What a blessing that you are able to be there for your mom and figure it out together. I totally understand where you are and what a struggle it is. Blogging can wait. You only have one mom. Love you friend!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      February 9, 2018 at 8:45 pm

      Love you back, friend! Thank you!

      Reply
  2. Serena @ Thrift Diving says

    January 29, 2018 at 9:17 pm

    Awww, Karen, I’m so sorry to hear that your mom isn’t doing well. It’s the scary part of adulthood when suddenly we are the ones caring for a parent the way they did for us when we were small/dependent. I guess it’s the circle of life, but it doesn’t make it any easier. Don’t worry about getting projects done. I haven’t been doing any projects, either. I’ve been cleaning up old posts and republishing them again. Surprisingly, blogs can survive off of great old content. It’s perfect for times like this when you can’t really push out new stuff. I’ll share some of your projects on Pinterest if you let me know which ones you’d like me to share (like your most popular so that it can bring lots of traffic. Just let me know: serena@thriftdiving.com. Stay well!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      February 9, 2018 at 8:45 pm

      Thank you, Serena! I’d love for you to share anything, but reader favorites are How to Clean a Screened Porch, Make-Your-Own Sharpie Curtains, How to Turn a Door into a Sliding Door. Thank you!!

      Reply
  3. Beth Kooby says

    January 30, 2018 at 11:04 am

    Sending you and your family love and strength!!! And Mazel Tov 🙂

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      February 9, 2018 at 8:43 pm

      Thank you, Beth!

      Reply
  4. Mickey Wood says

    April 3, 2018 at 7:31 pm

    I don’t know what to say except hang in there. I have missed you. Your posts are always’real’life. And I love it that you don’t have an all white and Crystal house.

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer,” because I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. This blog is all about DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organization. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.




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About Karen

A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home. Read More…

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