And so we did

Mom doesn't enjoy the transfers. She says she is tired of being wrestled around. But I am determined that she will not be one of those ladies who sleep all day and night until they don't wake up. Sooooo... I wrestled her into the car and we drove to Liberal (45 miles) and went to Walmart (boo) where I wrestled her into her wheelchair and we shopped. (We were very low on cat food so had to do it.)

Since that was successful, we went to Sonic and got the required chicken strips, tator tots and Dr Pepper for her, other bad for me things for me. While we are out she is talkative and her old self. Therefore there will be more out now that we aren't doing infusions every 36 hours.

When we got back to the home, she was tired and wanted to lay down but no! Today was the November birthday party and she had to go as it was her birth month. So we had hot chocolate and cup cakes and then she wanted to lay down. After a while, she said I should go home because she wasn't going to get up for supper. So I did. I packed me up, left her with the leftover sonic meal and actually got home just as it was getting dark.

And of course I relaxed by doing laundry and dishes (first time I did dishes since I got back!)

Thanksgiving #1

The home has a big family Thanksgiving dinner the Thursday before Thanksgiving (today). The place was packed with lots of able-bodied able-minded people. In the main dining hall, the tables were so close that moving anywhere was a challenge. Some of the guests were in wheelchairs as well, so there were probably 50 wheelchairs in the place. too bad we couldn't arrange a basket ball game, but I have so many visions of how that would go, none of them good, but many of them very funny.

The kitchen outdid itself, with plates of all the standard TG foods plus some of the midwest additions that still astound me. Ever heard of crockpot corn? Seems you first combine canned corn with cream cheese....

We were late for the feast so got to sit in one of the private dining rooms with another family, but there was just us at our table. Mernie and Dode were at their church TG dinner, and she was one of the worker bees so when we invited her she was already busy.

But (tada!!!) health report. Last week we saw hunky doc because I complained that she needed to be done with infusions every 36 hours, and that something else needed to be done. Nobody stays on vancomycin for eight weeks. Hunky doc agreed and changed the regimen. It was truly wonderful not to load into the van and go to the hospital every third morning at 8 a.m. and every third evening at 8 p.m. Sometimes we were there for several hours and it sort of ruined the days.

When we returned this week, he was surprised at how much better her toes looked and said to continue for another week. They truly did look so much better and it would be wonderful if we could get past the toes issue. He debraded the toes and dressed them and sent us away. Now for those of you neophytes, that means he cleaned off everything that would move and some of what didn't want to move. So the afternoon was spent in misery because her toes hurt. We requested Tylenol for the first time in weeks. Hope tomorrow is better, because I have plans to go to Liberal to shop for TG dinner 2.

They lost!

But losing 10 - 0 to a team with 73 consecutive wins is honorable, and now the boys are showing up in physical therapy, because now they have time.

Observations on Football

Football away from Mission is not the same. The Meade Buffalos won the regional championship for their division. The town has turned purple and gray from end to end. The next game is the major topic of conversation; they go up against a team that has been unbeaten for the last 72 games.

Remember the movie "Hoosiers"? When the town got all involved in the championship game? Yeah, same thing.We were at the hospital with Mom getting her infusion treatment. She was all hooked up to the IV pump and dozing off. I was knitting as usual. Then there was an announcement over the loudspeaker. Not "Dr Hunky needed in the ER" or any such thing. No, it announced that the team bus was leaving the school and anyone who was available should go out to the street to cheer them on their way. Now Meade is a small (16 bed) hospital. It is a regional hospital so there is lots of outpatient activity going on, but still not that many people work there. Look at the picture, and notice the people across the street from that business too.Anyway there we were, standing on the street, with my little mother dozing alone in the infusion room and yes! there it was! the sound of sirens. The police escort for the caravan.

The caravan drove through the center of town and then crested the hill that the hospital is on. Flashing lights, sirens, the team bus, the cheerleader bus, and a string of parent cars.

Invaders!

So the nursing home has double doors: a sliding motion activated outer door and a password protected inner door. (The residents can't figure out the password even though it is posted next to the keypad.) During the chilly nights last week, the local armadillo activated the outer door, came into the airlock chamber and spent the night, warm and snug. Next morning, the staff began to arrive and there he was. He got up, looked around and waddled out the door. What fun!

Sorry there's no picture. I was at home.

Toto, I think I may be in Kansas

The trip was a joy and so frustrating. I got to see the people I love and had to work way too hard and not get nearly enough done. Thank you all for the welcome.

The drive back wasn't nearly as fast as the drive to California. I lost two hours to time zones, it was two weeks less daylight in the greater scheme of things, and then there was the snow. Ryan was good enough to keep me aware of weather conditions ahead of me all the way across Arizona and especially New Mexico so that I believed I could forge on through the snow. I thought I could see light in the clouds and sure enough the weather channel kept showing gaps in the storm ahead of me so I just kept going.

I see the light at the end of the road!

Snow to the left, snow to the right, but roads were clear

My goal was to make it to Mom's cardiologist appointment in Dodge and I made it to the home with 8 minutes to spare, jumped out of the car and onto the bus to ride with her there.

The doctor said that she was better every time he saw her, and that he didn't need to see her for 4 months. There were problems with her old heart of course, but he said they could be treated medically and sent us away. And then we went back to Meade and freed Eileen to return to Colorado (where there really was major snow).

Mom looks great, has good color and she has started to not look so gaunt. She has been eating well for the last few days, and has been wanting snacks. I of course help her snack so don't see much hope losing my hospital food weight.