Family cruise on a river in Egypt

We are, of course, speaking of: De Nile.

My mother-in-law is 90 years old. She recently fell in her apartment. Fortunately, the "I've fallen and I can't get up" bracelet worked perfectly.

And then our adventures began.

The bracelet company called my husband as well as the people who came and helped Bubbe up. My husband and I drove in to her town to her apartment and we spent the night. She was in pain, having trouble moving, and exhibiting signs of confusion.

So the next day we decided to take her home with us. She really wasn't ready to be alone.

The next two nights at our home we got very little sleep. Bubbe gets up several times in the night to go to the bathroom. She couldn't manage by herself and so she called out to Ken.

The next day we took her back to her home town to see her doctor. Who promptly put her in the hospital.

The fractured vertebrae were cemented, which was a near miracle in reducing Bubbe's pain. After a few days, the doctor transferred her to the physical therapy floor, assuring us that he would keep her there "until they threw her out".

This lasted a few days when without warning her doctor popped in and said you're going home tomorrow.

She wasn't ready.

My husband drove in; his siblings drove in. His sister stayed with Bubbe a while. Finally, 24 hour care was arranged for a week "to give her time to get her strength back".

My husband is seeing pretty much what I am seeing.

Bubbe is still confused. She is terrified of falling again. She is disengaging with life. She keeps closing her eyes.

My sister-in-law and my brother-in-law don't / won't / can't (choose all that apply) see this. They keep talking about how she'll be "back to where she was" if she eats more, walks more, gets "out of the bad habit" of closing her eyes.

This is painful and so difficult for my husband. Especially since the family needs to be honestly discussing and making decisions.

And his siblings have opted for a cruise.