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August 24, 2007
Hospital Hopping
UGH! It's been about 2 weeks of hospital hopping for me. I spent a couple days last week visiting my mom who's in the hospital in Kalamazoo. Then I came back on Monday of this week and have been here ever since. (I MISS DON!!!) She's had a problem with her colon where one of the arteries supplying it with blood is not working properly. The problem started on the 4th of July and she spent about a week in the hospital in Detroit, but she left without a proper diagnosis or treatment. Plus, she wasn't happy at all with the level of care she received there. So she ended up at Borgess Methodist Hospital where John, my brother in law works.
She had to have surgery to remove about a quarter of her colon because they decided that rather than have the problem persist and get worse (which it has been), they should operate and eliminate the problem. It's been a bit of a slow recovery. But she looks better and better every day, though we have to really push her hard to get her to sit up in the chair, take walks up and down the hallway, and practice her breathing exercises so that she can step up from a liquid diet (including a nutritional IV) to a soft and eventually solid food diet. Sooner she gets to solid food, the sooner she gets out of the hospital.
Aside from being sick and having to cancel her trip to Egypt, she's really loving it there. She proclaims every day how uncomparable the level of care is there. The nursing staff, the doctors, everyone...even the guy who cleans her room every day. They really take good care of her there. I just wish she'd get better and get the heck outta there. I've been there every day helping her get in and out of bed, take walks, get washed up, untangling her IV lines, and whatever else she needs me to do.
And my friend Sue spent a week in the hospital last week for problems with fluid collecting in the lining of her lungs due to her cancer. They had to insert a tube and drain it slowly. But I think she got out Tuesday.
But MAN, for what Sue and my mom have been through in their lives--cancer, multiple surgeries, and procedures--I REALLY admire their strength!!! AMAZING women, those two!!!
And poor Pammie...she's sick too, though not like Mom and Sue. She's pregnant and going through SEVERE nausea: throwing up about 9 or 10 times a day (literally). She's got some medicine that is helping a bit, but she still gets sick a few times a day. I know she's ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE!!! And I'm sure most people don't really understand how bad it is for her. I'm sure I don't, but I've got SOOOOOOOOOO much sympathy for her. I just wish there was SOMETHING I could do for her. :( I'll tell you: Pam is ONE TOUGH FRIGGIN' CHICK and for something like this to kick her ass really says how bad it is.
When you think about it, all my "Moms" are sick! My real mom, and Pam and Sue who are my backup moms. What am I gonna do for a mommy???
Posted by Amy at August 24, 2007 09:04 PM
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