September 22, 2010

At this point we've lost track of the days.... I know on the 28th it will be a month since this ordeal began. Mom is now able to shower, for which she is truly GRATEFUL!! On the other hand, we're a bit concerned because she's lost more weight and not really eating much... The doctors want her drinking 5 Boost nutritional drinks a day. Since coming home she's drank on average 1 1/2... not good. :-/ To the point where we've noticed she'll get 'shaky' in the evening.... We told her yesterday she needs to ingest what the doctors want her to take in, she needs the nutrients! Told her, "Mom, you can sip a Boost drink throughout the day or wind up with an IV back in your arm!" With Andrea, Monica, Jeanette and I 'encouraging' her, she did better today and managed to finish 3 and a 4th one went with her to bed... better! As Andrea told me, "She was not happy when we tried making her drink them. We told her tomorrow she HAS to drink all 5." However, she seemed a bit livelier today... I (Lori) got to her house about 11:30am earlier today and she was 'supervising' Andrea on doing the laundry.... Then she had me folding it!! :-P Like Kevin told me, "Somebody's gotta do it!" :-/

We understand it doesn't help having Barbara in the hospital during this time and she's naturally very worried.... We think this whole situation also now has her angry! She's now feeling anger along with the frustration of this whole stupid situation >:-(

Barbara's status is 'stabilized'... Compounded with the pneumonia is the fact that upon arriving in the ER they did blood work on her and concluded her seizure medication levels were too high. Regardless that her regular physician had her stabilized on the dosage, the medical staff at Glendale Memorial decided to lower it considerably which resulted in her having several long Grand Mal seizures... In frustration we can't help but ask ourselves, "Why are you fooling with her seizure medication without consulting her primary physician?!?!? She was taken in for pneumonia NOT seizure disorder!!"

It's frustrating all the way around.... However, as Jeanette pointed out, the fact that Mom is now showing anger at the whole situation may be an indicator that she's feeling stronger ... she's no longer listlessly weak. Physically weak granted, but her mind is going a mile-a-minute and as the days drag on she's showing signs of being good old fashioned.... pissed!!

An active, energetic individual by nature and physically healthy... She is now going through the frustration of having her life turned upside down because of the misfortune in becoming a 'statistic' of a proactive, routine colonoscopy gone wrong! Awwwwwww.... What're you gonna do?? Finally expressing the 'anger' is part of the recovery process we know, but wish we knew how long this 'healing' phase will be.

Oh!! Just to clear up misconceptions on Mom's abdominal drain .... It's located about 2-3 inches below her belly button. We learned some of you thought it was coming out of her rectal area!! Have to admit, she got a good laugh out of that when we told her! =D

Overall, we're all doing well. Just circling the wagons and getting things done... and still HUGELY Grateful for all your well wishes, good thoughts and prayers!!