Thursday, January 29, 2015
After 23 days mother has returned from her vacation in the hospital.
Buddy says hello.
Everything is returning to normal except for doctor's appointments and rehab sessions next week.
She (and I) will be busy for a while.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Mother is recovering nicely. She will probably come home from rehab next week. Still needs to work on getting her strength back. They are exercising her like crazy at the rehab place.
I've been out running a dig last week and this week. Nice to be outside moving some dirt and exploring history. The downside- I come home so tired I really don't have the energy to do much.
I've been out running a dig last week and this week. Nice to be outside moving some dirt and exploring history. The downside- I come home so tired I really don't have the energy to do much.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Quick update.
Mother is improving greatly.
She had a weird setback on Friday, very scary. But later that day she opened her eyes and I asked if she was there and she said yes.
On Saturday she had a very handsome nurse named Steve.
She had a weird setback on Friday, very scary. But later that day she opened her eyes and I asked if she was there and she said yes.
On Saturday she had a very handsome nurse named Steve.
Steve!
She was moved to a regular ward from ICU this evening. She might have some horrible bacteria common in hospitals, so I have to wear a gown. Since it was evening, does that make it an evening gown?
Mother can't wait to come home.
I'm out running a dig so I am exhausted. Last night I went to bed at 9 PM. Crazy!
Thursday, January 08, 2015
Mother update. She is making remarkable progress. After the sedative wore off she was able to talk, answer questions, and tell the hospital chaplain I was an atheist. Everyone laughed.
I boasted to Elizabeth about our wonderful weather, and of course it rained a lot today. Buddy is inside now hanging out with her in the living room and making her laugh because he is such a goof.
I feel very relieved and I am hoping that Mother regains her strength quickly.
I boasted to Elizabeth about our wonderful weather, and of course it rained a lot today. Buddy is inside now hanging out with her in the living room and making her laugh because he is such a goof.
I feel very relieved and I am hoping that Mother regains her strength quickly.
Wednesday, January 07, 2015
On Monday night my mother told me she might have the flu. She asked for a thermometer and she had a normal temperature. I made her supper and around 10 PM she threw up a bit- unusual but about once or twice when she has been at my house that sort of thing had happened.
I am a light sleeper and awake when my mother moves around. Sometime after 1:30 AM Tuesday morning I heard her walking around. She was unsteady and had the appearance of having high blood sugar. I do not know how to make her tester work, and she seemed unable to work it. She asked me to put some insulin in a needle, which I was able to do on my second attempt. But she rapidly became more confused. I waited a short while, thinking that the insulin would work. Around 3:30 AM I called 911.
The paramedics came and loaded her into the ambulance and I followed to the hospital. They called me back in a half hour or so, asking me what had happened. She had a very high sugar count- 1078. The highest the emergency room doctor and nurse had ever seen. Mother was having difficulty breathing- panting, and was only partly lucid. They asked me if they could put her on a ventilator and she was coherent enough to agree. They sedated her and intubated her.
I had been able to hold it together until then. It is embarrassing to weep in front of people. When I pulled my self together I called my sisters and advised them what was happening. Mother was taken to ICU where the doctor explained she was in critical condition and had a 70 percent chance of survival. He also suggested I get one of my sisters to come out, and Elizabeth made reservations.
I live .6 miles from the hospital, so made trips back and forth and finally went to bed after getting no sleep. This morning when I went in she had stabilized and at 10 AM she had improved enough so that they decided to stop sedating her and take out the ventilator. By late afternoon she was squeezing my finger and by 6 PM she had started to talk a little, although still very drowsy. The nurse and doctor were amazed at how rapidly she is recovering.
Mother will probably have to be in the hospital for a while (a couple of weeks?) and may have to go to a rehab place to regain her strength and mobility, depending on how badly affected she is by being so sick. In any case, it was a scary experience.
I am a light sleeper and awake when my mother moves around. Sometime after 1:30 AM Tuesday morning I heard her walking around. She was unsteady and had the appearance of having high blood sugar. I do not know how to make her tester work, and she seemed unable to work it. She asked me to put some insulin in a needle, which I was able to do on my second attempt. But she rapidly became more confused. I waited a short while, thinking that the insulin would work. Around 3:30 AM I called 911.
The paramedics came and loaded her into the ambulance and I followed to the hospital. They called me back in a half hour or so, asking me what had happened. She had a very high sugar count- 1078. The highest the emergency room doctor and nurse had ever seen. Mother was having difficulty breathing- panting, and was only partly lucid. They asked me if they could put her on a ventilator and she was coherent enough to agree. They sedated her and intubated her.
I had been able to hold it together until then. It is embarrassing to weep in front of people. When I pulled my self together I called my sisters and advised them what was happening. Mother was taken to ICU where the doctor explained she was in critical condition and had a 70 percent chance of survival. He also suggested I get one of my sisters to come out, and Elizabeth made reservations.
I live .6 miles from the hospital, so made trips back and forth and finally went to bed after getting no sleep. This morning when I went in she had stabilized and at 10 AM she had improved enough so that they decided to stop sedating her and take out the ventilator. By late afternoon she was squeezing my finger and by 6 PM she had started to talk a little, although still very drowsy. The nurse and doctor were amazed at how rapidly she is recovering.
Mother will probably have to be in the hospital for a while (a couple of weeks?) and may have to go to a rehab place to regain her strength and mobility, depending on how badly affected she is by being so sick. In any case, it was a scary experience.
Friday, January 02, 2015
We are having or three days of winter in Tucson. I have the outside plants covered. Buddy is sleeping in Doug's house. Outside the water freezes and I noticed a snowflake-like patch in a pot.
Ice.
I don't have fancy central heat. There is a space heater in the living room that my mother has on 24 hours a day. She sits on the couch under a heating pad. It is currently 69 degrees and she is freezing. She complains about the cold. I pulled out the electric blanket and now she is huddled under it.
Sigh.
It has been a difficult six weeks. Every meal I cook is stressful. She is free with criticism, has no reserve about saying things that other people would not say. My mother has always been socially awkward, and that seems to be getting more pronounced as she ages.
So anyways. Happy New Year.
I don't have fancy central heat. There is a space heater in the living room that my mother has on 24 hours a day. She sits on the couch under a heating pad. It is currently 69 degrees and she is freezing. She complains about the cold. I pulled out the electric blanket and now she is huddled under it.
Sigh.
It has been a difficult six weeks. Every meal I cook is stressful. She is free with criticism, has no reserve about saying things that other people would not say. My mother has always been socially awkward, and that seems to be getting more pronounced as she ages.
So anyways. Happy New Year.
