Taking the next first step

There is in every true woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity. - Washington Irving

Yesterday we got the good news that Mom could be transferred to UT Southwestern's Zale Lipshy rehabilitation hospital. She now has a nice corner room with a view of downtown Dallas. It gets nice light in the morning, and the skyline twinkles like Christmas every night. We liked Zale the last time Mom was there; it's a beautiful facility, the staff were strong and kind, and she made progress in their physical therapy care. The trouble is staying long enough to make a difference; the health care industry is designed to move people through the system quickly and get them home, but it takes patience and time to regain strength when so much has been lost. Rome wasn't built in a day, right?

So we aren't sure how long Mom will be at Zale, but we're hopeful she is there long enough to rebuild some muscle strength, energy and endurance to return home and enjoy a better quality of life than she has for the last two months or so. Her goal is to strengthen her back, core and leg muscles in particular, which have been so devastated by the months of high steroid use. Stronger muscles mean more mobility and less pain. More self-reliance and choice. Activities to enjoy in this holiday season. One fewer reason to be depressed, when there are so many reasons why one could be.

I'm writing this from an altitude of 39,177 feet, thanks to the in-flight wifi on my flight back to Texas. Today I'm thankful to be spending my 38th birthday weekend with Mom and Dad, helping to get Mom settled in her new digs and lending some support to Dad, who is under more strain than anyone should ever be. I'm thankful my employer lets me take off every few weeks and doubly thankful for my husband and son who understand and give me extra hugs when I return.

This holiday season we're asking for the gifts of strength, health and family time together. Let's hope 2012 ends on a better note than it began.

Advent Season!

Several days into this hospital stay, Mom is feeling somewhat better, but still has obstacles to overcome.  She was diagnosed with an infection and treated with a trio of antibiotics, which over the past few days have done a good job of restoring her hand movement.  We're still waiting for good progress with physical therapy, however, and her speech comes and goes, but one hurdle at a time. 

The steroid she's been taking since February has made her skin terribly thin and prone to easily tear.  I learned my lesson a few weeks ago when sliding a pillow under her arm, my ring caught the a small fold of skin around her elbow and ripped it right off. Just a little tear, but it wasted no time bleeding and then my attempt at a soft band-aid with gauze and paper tape caused further damage. She didn't even flinch when it happened, but we were both sad and the bruise which will take weeks to heal is shaped like a circle from the tape, with a little interior frown from the ring.  :(

We are enjoying the season, despite the bruises and tears.  Today at Starbucks I picked up a coffee and chocolate lover's Advent Calendar, and got a free skinny vanilla latte with purchase.   Before she opened it, she said "25!" and why would she say that without reading the label or me telling her what it was? It doesn't even look like the little Advent calendars she has given the girls in years past, the big flat ones with chocolate molded toys in each paper compartment. I was surprised she figured out what it was just by seeing a few numbers on a box.  This big Advent box is super cute, and the little doors give Mom something to look forward to each day, not to mention providing a challenge of how to open the tiny cardboard door each day. 

During lunch today we caught the end of a new(ish) version of Miracle on 34th Street, with an ending neither of us were familiar with.  She very clearly said, "I don't remember this part?!" and neither did I.  I think it's fascinating that she can remember what she doesn't remember, even though it's been at least a year since she's seen any version of that movie. 

We're happy to be at St. Paul for now, but are all looking forward to getting over to Zale Lipshy for some seriously good inpatient physical therapy.  We are hopeful that transition will take place in a few days, when this infection is cleared up, and some overall strength returns. 

Back in the Hospital

After celebrating and enjoying a traditional Thanksgiving meal from the comfort (?) of her bed last week, Mom and Dad have reached the end of the line on patience with Mom's back issues.  For the past 2 months Mom has pretty much been confined to bed because her back has been very difficult to work with.  It could be pain from just laying in bed, it could be due to long-term steroid use, it could be a new compression fracture, we're not sure.  Speech and right hand motor control have also been more troublesome lately and we are unsure why.

But we are sure of one thing; we are tired of waiting so back in the hospital we are today, with a bevy of tests being run, currently in a 3-hour MRI session of brain and spine.

Thankful today for anti-anxiety medication for Mom, Subway sandwich shops for Mom and Dad, kind nurses, and dad's cell phone charger.  And especially thankful for prayers from family and friends.

I'll post more when we know what's up. 

TGIF!

Quick update:

Mom's nurse came in for a normal visit today, and she removed Mom's wound vac completely!  She said the wound has healed wonderfully, making a lot of progress in the last week particularly. She has been saying for the past few months that it would be a very slow process to get to a certain point, and then when it really started to heal, it would be quick.

So quick it was, and today was the day. It's been a very long road to this point, but now she is free of the tether to the wound vac, and its ever-present whir.

YEAH MOM! Champagne and pizza to celebrate tonight.  

Braiding

I googled it:  Braiding is a method of intertwining three or more strands of flexible material.  

We are nothing if not flexible these days, between visiting with 3 granddaughters and their overlapping activities, 3 full time jobs for the working adults, 25+ beckoning boxes in the living room, laundry for 7 waiting to be done, 2 refrigerators waiting to be refilled and Halloween costumes and candy to be bought.  Flexible, intertwined, and more than occasionally exhausted.  

We have a routine. Mom has many people in and out of the house every day; nurses and therapists, and caretaker Cindy is working well with Mom, helping her relax before and after the visits and hard work of in-bed rehab.  Dad is ever-present, working on his laptop whenever he's not attending to Mom or being mindful of all the people who are here to help.  The juggling act of schedules and the accommodating last minutes changes requires unending patience and flexibility.  

Mom's favorite nurse came in this morning and Dad met her at the door with a cup of coffee just the way she likes it, in her favorite cup. The nurse climbed onto the empty side of Mom's bed to dress her wound, explaining that she doesn't do this for everyone, but Mom is special. It was a comfortable visit and Mom's wound is looking better.  Several weeks left, probably, of the wound vac she's hooked up to, and that will be a sparkling wine day, the day it comes up and is shipped back to the company it came from.  Packed in one of the (seeming) dozen of brown shipping boxes stacked in the bathroom.  

Weekends are different. A weekend means (with few nurse exceptions) no one is officially coming over, so Mom can enjoy a lazy breakfast and a day of tv, maybe some homework, maybe some reading/listening to the newspaper being read.  Probably a lot of football.  Doesn't matter who is playing.  Cowboys are always good for some heart pounding and adrenalin pumping.  We think it would be easier to be a Giants fan sometimes.  

We had Saturday and Sunday breakfast together. Mom gave instructions how to wash the many, many small rugs around the house.  (Thankful for a sunny day for drying outside!)  

Mom dried many dishes. It's amazing how many dishes you dirty up, between the Tervis tumblers, and all the silverware.  She loves drying dishes and it's super helpful  - it saves so much time, and helps the kitchen look nice and clean.  We also folded lots of laundry. Mom does a great job on washcloths and hand towels, folding them as evenly as she ever did before she was sick.  This is the best kind of occupational therapy she can do, practical, satisfying, and something to be proud of.  

Mom sat up for 26 minutes today on the side off the bed, longer than she has since mid-September.  When she was up, she enjoyed a heatpack and a nice back massage.  No pain!  She tried on a pretty new red merino wool sweater Dad picked up for her while he was shopping.  She loved it.  She was again proud of her work and efforts, and even after laying back down, continued to do stretches and exercises that her physical therapist has taught her.  She and Dad both felt great.

After a yummy dinner of grilled pork and sides, Mom was watching the World Series with freshly-showered Mary Claire right beside her. Before Mom was sick, she used to love to dry the girls' hair, she would comb and blow dry until it was perfectly done and just soft as it could be.  Mary Claire brought her a comb, and Mom enjoyed combing out the long damp loose curls.  And then she did something amazing. She braided her hair!  Now that's some good occupational therapy!