Friday, October 8, 2010

99 Is The New 98

My mother is back in the hospital and I admit to being concerned.

She had a bad weekend and things weren't looking up on Monday, so Tuesday my brother took off from work and came up to check things out. As a result, he ended up again with the nightmarish emergency room detail, and my mother didn't get into her hospital room until after midnight that night.

When I visited her on Wednesday, she mostly seemed all right. But sometime Wednesday night she developed a urinary tract infection (which hadn't shown up on any tests Tuesday), and she became more confused and agitated.

I spent a couple of hours with her yesterday and the antibiotics kicked in and she became more herself (and I got lots of brownie points from the nurses for being such a good daughter). This morning I called and she's still suffering from confusion, and who knows what else.

I spoke to a good friend of mine last night who pointed out my mother has timed this very well; I'm home from South Carolina and Massachusetts and not yet on the road to New Jersey and Texas. Even when she's sick, my mother is an extremely considerate person!

As all of you who have ever had caregiver responsibilities know, it's very draining. I've been trying to get what needs to get done in the mornings, because by the time I get home from visiting my mother, I'm pretty much incapable of anything except watching baseball games (thank you Yankees for winning) and speaking to very close friends, who have lives and problems of their own.

We're coming up on one of the really great three day weekends. The weather here is perfect, glorious blue skies and warm enough temperatures. We haven't had a heavy frost yet and the leaves are changing, so the scenery is just beautiful. I hope all of you who have Columbus Day off (definitely not an international holiday) have a fun filled weekend full of October magic.

9 comments:

Carrie said...

So sorry to hear about your mother. We've been facing some of the same issues with my grandmother this year. It's a tough think to deal with. Makes me wish I was a kid again. Hope things improve for her and for you.

LuMa said...

hi Ms. Susan,

I am very sorry to hear about what is happening with your mom. I don't exactly know how you must feel but It must be a hard time for you. I really hope that your mom gets healthy again and that things go better for you.

-Lupe

P.S: Fall is my favorite season. :]

Bidisha said...

I really hope your mother gets well soon. Something really horrible happened to me so I can imagine what you're going through.
I'll be thinking of you.

Anonymous said...

Hope your mother gets well soon. She's a strong woman.

-- Donna M.--

exBFF said...

just know you have friends out here thinking about you and wishing you - and your mother - nothing but the best.

david

Anonymous said...

Sending up a prayer for your mother and you. I hope this is just a small hiccup and that you'll be watching baseball together soon.

WandaV

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hello and thank you to Carrie, Lupe, Bee, Donna M., David and WandaV-

I'm thrilled to report that as of last night my mother was doing much much better. In fact, she was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon and moved to a rehab center.

She was like Sleeping Beauty yesterday morning, refusing to wake up or talk or take her medicines. I scurried to the hospital, somehow got her awake, and then almost immediately, she returned to being herself. Fully awake, fully alert, fully herself.

I think Scooter must have given her a few of his nine lives!

Anonymous said...

My very best wishes to your mother. She will be on my prayer list.
Oh, today my dad went to the flea market and picked me up a movie called Earth Storm: the storm to end all storms. This movie is about an asteroid that crashes into the moon (sound familiar)

I know it's been a while,
Sunshine :-)
P.S. I'm in the competitive creative writing club in high school and I am writing "short stories", but my coach is telling me to doo this one called Letters to Literature which is where you say how an author's (dead or alive) words and life inspired you. I decided that I would do you. When I am fone with the letter, want me to e-mail it to you?

Susan Beth Pfeffer said...

Hi Sunshine-

Thanks for your comment. And yes, please email me your letter when you're done with it. I'm sure I'll enjoy reading it!