My Sister

[stonebender]

I haven't been very communicative lately. Too much. Too fast. I'm not really through grieving for my father, then Betty dies. Another family member was operated on (everything went okay she is healing nicely) and now my sister has been in the hospital too long. She came down with pneumonia and the doctor says it may have been caused by something called Valley Fever. Something I've never heard of before. They haven't confirmed the Valley Fever yet, she most certainly has a very serious case of pneumonia. So serious that she has been on a ventilator has been kept unconscious since she went to the emergency room. I just got a phone call from the hospital saying her doctor needs to talk to a family member about our "options". I am to put it lightly freaked. I will most likely be the one to make any decisions. My sister didn't leave a power of attorney or assign anyone to speak for her when she is ill and unable to speak for herself. I say I will probably be the one to decide because, well, because there is no one else. My father is gone. My mother is a basket case (completely understandably). That leaves the kids, Cheryl the youngest who has been the one the hospital has been communicating with because she's closest. She has made it clear that she isn't up to it. My brother won't help make the decision, so there's me. Linda never made her wishes clear on what she wants in situations like this. I hope I make the right choice for her. Everyone should feel free to comment, but don't anticipate a quick reply from me. I do tend to shut down during these kinds of things. All that goes through my head lately is I was always the one that was supposed to go first.