About a week ago, my brother John called me with news that Mother went to the hospital again. Her speech was slurred, she had some confusion and motor difficulty. John had her take an aspirin and called 911. She was in ICU for a couple of days and then stayed in a regular room for a couple more.
I am attaching John's most recent letter about her progress.
Let me apologize for not writing the last couple of days. They were filled with projects in the limited time between hospital visits.
I purposely did not write an update on Friday, as I was saddened by my hospital visit.
Coming to the hospital after lunch, I saw Mother finish getting tested by a neurologist, followed up with lunch.
Sitting up and rotating on the bed evidently is considered a federal hospital offense. She set off the bed alarm, again.
Alarms rang out in her room and across the hall at the nurses station. Nurses and aids came flying in to make sure Mother had not fallen and was ok.
Once the hubbub settled back down, she ate a half portion of oatmeal with a little skim milk.
About the time she finished lunch the physical therapist arrived.
They put on the big support belt and accompanied Mother steering her walker up and down the hallway, then brought her back to her room.
At her request, they sat her in the chair to chat with me. She looked tired and dragged out.
Mom’s neck was stiff, so I put a pillow under her feet, to give a little support and keep them from dangling in the air like a 5-year old in the big girl chair.
There was a vertical pillow behind her back to help her sit forward, so I put another one behind her head to give a bit more support.
She went from alert to asleep in under 2 minutes.
With Mom still zonked out half an hour later, I went out to chat with her doctor about how she was doing.
Especially in the neck area, Mom's arteries and veins are not as strong as they used to be, so another stroke is possible.
Doc hemmed and hawed a bit on details, but said there were a couple more tests and they did not want to release her until she gained more strength.
I thanked her and told them I was heading home.
So, I was not filled with joy or even much hope that day, and decided to wait and get a better picture the next day before penning an update.
Have you ever seen the cartoon with engineers standing at a blackboard with an incredibly complex flowchart drawn on it?
The whole process looks impossible until you see where someone drew in a big rectangle just before the happy ending that says,”Then a miracle happened.”
That was my experience Saturday. Anne and I went to the hospital for a visit. Mother was sitting up in her chair by the window with a big cheshire cat grin and announced that she was coming home TODAY! They told me TODAY!!!
After the way Mom looked a mere 24 hours earlier, I was stunned. Shock and Awe come to mind, for lack of better words.
Apparently the doctor had told her just a couple hours earlier that she could leave.
After verifying the facts with the doctor, we set about getting everything in order.
After turning off the chair alarm several times, Anne and an aid helped Mother dress, while I chatted with the doctor about Mom’s prescriptions, follow up visits, and everything else we needed to do after leaving the hospital.
We drove Mom home and celebrated with a nice family supper and a quiet evening together again.
Mom will need to be on meds and go to out-patient physical therapy for awhile. That’s ok.
This time around she skipped ahead of the in-patient month, which she endured two years ago.
And she walks around with a walker or cane instead of a wheelchair.
I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all for your prayers.
They caught God’s ear and He delivered another miracle.
Now Mom can spend more enjoyable days at home instead of surviving days in a hospital.
I will not even test her (except perhaps her patience. Mwa ha ha!).
Praise God!
I am attaching John's most recent letter about her progress.
Let me apologize for not writing the last couple of days. They were filled with projects in the limited time between hospital visits.
I purposely did not write an update on Friday, as I was saddened by my hospital visit.
Coming to the hospital after lunch, I saw Mother finish getting tested by a neurologist, followed up with lunch.
Sitting up and rotating on the bed evidently is considered a federal hospital offense. She set off the bed alarm, again.
Alarms rang out in her room and across the hall at the nurses station. Nurses and aids came flying in to make sure Mother had not fallen and was ok.
Once the hubbub settled back down, she ate a half portion of oatmeal with a little skim milk.
About the time she finished lunch the physical therapist arrived.
They put on the big support belt and accompanied Mother steering her walker up and down the hallway, then brought her back to her room.
At her request, they sat her in the chair to chat with me. She looked tired and dragged out.
Mom’s neck was stiff, so I put a pillow under her feet, to give a little support and keep them from dangling in the air like a 5-year old in the big girl chair.
There was a vertical pillow behind her back to help her sit forward, so I put another one behind her head to give a bit more support.
She went from alert to asleep in under 2 minutes.
With Mom still zonked out half an hour later, I went out to chat with her doctor about how she was doing.
Especially in the neck area, Mom's arteries and veins are not as strong as they used to be, so another stroke is possible.
Doc hemmed and hawed a bit on details, but said there were a couple more tests and they did not want to release her until she gained more strength.
I thanked her and told them I was heading home.
So, I was not filled with joy or even much hope that day, and decided to wait and get a better picture the next day before penning an update.
Have you ever seen the cartoon with engineers standing at a blackboard with an incredibly complex flowchart drawn on it?
The whole process looks impossible until you see where someone drew in a big rectangle just before the happy ending that says,”Then a miracle happened.”
That was my experience Saturday. Anne and I went to the hospital for a visit. Mother was sitting up in her chair by the window with a big cheshire cat grin and announced that she was coming home TODAY! They told me TODAY!!!
After the way Mom looked a mere 24 hours earlier, I was stunned. Shock and Awe come to mind, for lack of better words.
Apparently the doctor had told her just a couple hours earlier that she could leave.
After verifying the facts with the doctor, we set about getting everything in order.
After turning off the chair alarm several times, Anne and an aid helped Mother dress, while I chatted with the doctor about Mom’s prescriptions, follow up visits, and everything else we needed to do after leaving the hospital.
We drove Mom home and celebrated with a nice family supper and a quiet evening together again.
Mom will need to be on meds and go to out-patient physical therapy for awhile. That’s ok.
This time around she skipped ahead of the in-patient month, which she endured two years ago.
And she walks around with a walker or cane instead of a wheelchair.
I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all for your prayers.
They caught God’s ear and He delivered another miracle.
Now Mom can spend more enjoyable days at home instead of surviving days in a hospital.
I will not even test her (except perhaps her patience. Mwa ha ha!).
Praise God!
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