"This is why the Easter Bunny never showed up this year. The carrots decided to fight back..."

Sushi has pretty much summarized the dangers ahead. There is no way to truly screen her calls other than you or your cousin being with her 24 hours a day. Allowing her the freedom of answering her phone, puts her at risk -- for physical, financial, and emotional harm. I'm also a "been there, done that." My mom used to think she was outsmarting telemarketers by telling them that she was a widow and in ill health, so she couldn't afford to buy their products. Some of the callers had her name and some address info. I'd tell her over and over again that she was saying too much and that the callers could come to the house. She'd promise to do better, but the next time I'd see her, she'd proudly relate how she told off a telemarketer. Eventually she moved to an assisted living facility and the situation was better. The address change in addition to the phone number change lessened the frequency of calls. When she moved into the memory care wing, her phone did not move with her. As far as doctors, etc., do what sushi recommends. Make yourself or your cousin the contact person. That's what I did with my mom even before she moved to assisted living. Perhaps you could "train" your mom to always defer to either you or your cousin when answering questions over the phone. For example, "I'm sorry. You need to talk to my daughter/niece about this. She takes care of everything for me." There's always the possibility of changing her phone number to a new and unlisted number.

Hello Alisha, I wanted to add to the wise advice given above. It's possible that due to the overwhelming effects of hormones on your Mom's mood, she may need an antidepressant to help her cope right now. This is where the MD comes in -- he/she most likely would be willing to give your Mom a script for medication, and if your Mom is struggling to the degree you described, she may find some relief from taking it. I know I did. Also have your Mom ask the doctor to check her Vitamin D levels. I was shocked to discover I had almost none, even though I made it a point to get sunshine. Vitamin D affects many aspects of our physical health, and I wouldn't be surprised if your Mom's levels are low. The fact that you are there to offer her your support and comfort is wonderful. What a huge blessing you are to your Mom! It must be difficult to see her going through this, but please know your Mom's symptoms will slowly but surely start to improve in the next year or so. She's already been going through the worst of it. It's sad that many people don't understand the first thing about menopause. It's important that your Dad recognizes this is not "all in her head." The physical and emotional changes resulting from hormonal fluctuations are vey real and significant. Reassure your Dad that your Mom won't be in this phase forever, that she is still the same wonderful person, and she needs comfort and moral support. She's not crazy at all, she's snapping because she feels she's not being heard and there's a chance she isn't. Men seem to want to solve problems when a lot of the time a woman is just looking for some validation and reassurance. You are the sunshine in your Mom's life right now, and those walks are lifesavers in terms of stress reduction and overall health. Hopefully your parents can get out to see a movie or enjoy a nice dinner and perhaps take some walks together too. Please tell your Mom there is a rainbow at the end of the storm and she's close to seeing it. God bless you for being such a loving daughter!

We don't know where you are - general location or growing zone would help...they do not like hot & humid climate, and could look almost 'dead' in those conditions, but will survive. Growing in pots is np, just give them good drainage (pot with drainage hole and well draining mix). Look thru this current thread [-AEONIUMS-[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/how-well-did-your-aeoniums-grow-this-winter-dsvw-vd~5650195?n=23)