Apparently life was getting to easy, too complacent, too run-of-the-mill...so the toilet in the downstairs bathroom decided to overflow. And to tell the truth, it's not that unusual for a potty to back up and I am trying to be Superwoman now that I'm not working and bringing in income, so I got the plunger.
To go back a step or two...I was sitting right here at the computer reading some article about Alzheimer's and I heard water gurgling. Probably not a good sign. Before I could even sign off...another gurgle. By the time I got to the bathroom - the toilet water had a taken on a life of it's own...ugh! I plunged - it overflowed even more. I plunged again - it was clearly coming out the bottom.
I decided I was going to have to wait for it to go down and for Patrick to get up...so I did what any borderline OCD person does...I cleaned up. Towels into trash bags, bath mats out into the yard, shop towels and disinfectant at the ready. Gloves - a must! Pairs and pairs of gloves...thank you Dora! Let the clean up begin. I was sweating like nobody's business, the smell was just awful and I wasn't making much progress. I felt so bad when Patrick came down the stairs on his one day off...I was hoping to have it all fixed so he wouldn't have to deal with any of it. No such luck!
I can't do justice to the scene that played out over the next 60 minutes - we plunged, we scooped water, we soaked towel after towel, went through glove after glove, mop head after mop head, pulled the toilet off, snaked the main drain and NOTHIN'! Time to call a plumber. Justin, plumber of the year, nicest guy to wear a uniform, etc. came and saved the day (and cost us $225) - there was major blockage in the line. He put the toilet back on and replaced the wax seal - without us asking him to or him charging us...such a wonderful gesture.
He recommended a water damage repair company - we called them, they came, another wonderful soul - Joshua, we called the insurance claims folks and Joshua got to work. He called in reinforcements so the kids and mom could achieve some kind of bedtime - and they were out of here by 10:00pm.
I say all this to point out another very strange thing about ALZ....mom seems the least upset by this. I thought it would make her nuts or anxious or upset or scared. Nope. Out of sight, out of mind...literally! Mostly out of mind. She can be looking right at the damage and she doesn't seem to notice that anything is out of place. She showed a bit of anxiety when she was worried that she couldn't use the bathroom, but after that - nothing! She doesn't seem to notice that it happened, she's not upset that it happened, she has shown no sympathy for it happening and if she's in the family room or her room - she doesn't have a clue that it happened at all.
It's been quite a 48 hours - but Joshua came and picked up the fans today - we have peace in the home once again. The reconstruction company will be here tomorrow - thank goodness! Hoping to have the work started on Monday...How will mom handle drywallers, hammers, nail guns, the flooring guys? Who knows!?
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