[MicroBob]

Yiikes. Not really sure what to tell you on this one but I guess I'll toss out a few ideas for consideration.

I would probably end up taking a similar angle as you have and would also end up causing a similar issue I suspect.

Maybe being as simple and obvious as possible in your rationality?
Instead of using logic that might be a bit too drawn-out for her to feel like following you can just use the very simplest of cliches like, "I think we need to be prepared for anything" or something like that.

When she gets optimistic again then just say, "That's great. Glad to hear she's having a good day."
Skip the part where you say, "....but you know she's going to have her ups and downs."
Sounds like you pretty much just have to let her live in never-never land when she starts to think her nana is going to fully recover.


My GF is a nurse at a hospital and usually it's not the patients that give her problems, it's the overzealous patients' relatives (she had a particularly overbearing one to deal with yesterday).

Calling every half-hour like your wife is seems pretty over-the-top and inappropriate so I don't blame you at all for trying to bring her back down to earth somewhat (albeit unsuccessfully apparently).

I can almost promise that the nurses who are trying to do their best to care for ALL of their patients and also remain professional on the phone with your wife are getting a bit annoyed.


I don't have much experience at all with the death of anyone close to me.
But I think that some people actually have a tougher time dealing with it during your current phase.
When it's finally over and there is finality and the roller-coaster is over your wife might freak-out somewhat but I suspect it won't be long at all before she finally finds some calm.