Just a Quick Update

I can never thank all of you dear cyberspace friends enough for your wonderful words of support and love.  I truly feel your arms enveloping me when I most need it.  Who would have ever known that computers could have given me access to such caring people. 

I stayed at the hospital about twelve hours yesterday.  For most of it, my mom dozed on and off or fidgeted with her blankets in a sort of oblivion.  When I arrived, I found her restrained in a posey belt so I knew she had been giving them a bit of trouble during the night - and her IV arm was completely enveloped in cling bandage.  The nurse told me she had dislodged two IVs and had told them several times she was going home.  When I walked in the nurse asked mother, "Who is this lady?"  My mom did respond, "She's my daughter."  The first time in three days, she actually recognized me.  She also called me, "Carmen," once during the afternoon but, for the most part, she is still totally confused.

Her doctor stopped by later and said that her heart rate is still too high but is slower on the medication.  Her lab work, suprisingly, was not too far from normal.  A handsome young cardiologist came in about 4PM.  He does not want to continue her on anticoagulants after discharge, he says, because he fears the risk of falls in older patients and, on "blood thinners", that could create a problem.  He feels that, once the atrial fibrillation is under control, she won't be so at risk of forming clots.  I immediately knew the doctor was from India and asked him.  I was right, of course, and we had a nice chat about his country.  He was rather surprised that a Caucasian in Columbus, Georgia had such knowledge about so many things Indian, including the world of Bollywood movie stars.  He told me about the ONE Indian restaurant in my home town so I'll have to go there before I leave, I guess. 

So things are progressing and I have the task ahead, with my brother, of trying to figure out where my mom will be placed.  That will be daunting.  Each night, I sit here, alone in this apartment, thinking about disposing of all these belongings that have been part of her life and it overwhelms me.  It is like disposing of my mother, piece by piece.