We've been in Lubbock since June 28. As I said in my last post, Max's mom has been having some health issues. She fell about mid-June. She's 83 years old with osteoporosis, and falling is not a good thing. She cracked two vertebra. They didn't find them on x-ray the first trip to the ER. After being sent home and spending a miserable week there, she called an ambulance to take her back to the hospital. The second time, they did an MRI, found the problem, and did some sort of gluing procedure to repair the cracks.
They then sent her to a rehab center for therapy. At the rehab center she contracted C-diff, an extremely contagious colon infection. So back to the hospital she went with that. She was one very sick lady for about 10 days with that stuff. They had her in isolation and on all kinds of drugs. We got back here in the midst of all that. It was kind of scary to have to gown/glove/mask up in order to go in the room to see her.
We finally got to take her home on July 8. I stayed with her 24x7. Max stayed during the day and came back out to the Turtle to spend the nights. Home health care sent physical and occupational therapists, nurses and bathers to help take care of her, as well. We also saw or talked to case workers, nursing supervisors and social workers. All of those people were absolutely wonderful and did everything they could to help in all aspects of her recovery as well as to answer the myriad of questions we had. Thank goodness for Medicare, and thank goodness for good home health care!
Last Wednesday Max's brother, Danny, flew in from Phoenix to join the party. I left him at her house for the 24x7 duty, and Max and I would just go over during the day to help out as we could and figure out the next steps.
Figuring out those next steps was not an easy task. My mother-in-law is a very independent lady and wants nothing more than to be in her home, taking care of herself. Unfortunately, that just is not possible right now. Thank goodness not only is she independent and determined, but she's also very intelligent. It took her only a few short days to realize that at least for right now, she just can't do what she wants to do. She needs help.
Accepting that help was not an easy thing to do. What an admirable lady though. She spent one evening being kind of sad. But then the very next morning she was all business and a bundle of energy, ready to pack her clothes. I had to start making lists just to keep up with her!
Her goal is to one day be back in her home and on her own. Goals are good! And that's what we will be working toward. In the meantime, yesterday that brave 83-year-old stepped onto a plane...for the first time in her life...to fly back to Phoenix with Danny. What a day for her!
She had such a big smile on her face! And she's one of those people who rarely smiles in pictures, so this was great to see.
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| "The Boys", getting Mom all checked in. |
Danny said she did pretty good on the flight, considering. We were worried about take-offs and landings and how all that pressure would affect her back, but her words to me were, "Oh, it was about like riding in a car." How about that?! Of course, pain patches and pills can work wonders. :)
They had a layover in Vegas and I was hoping she would get a chance to put a quarter in a slot machine, but she said they didn't have time. It sounded like she was amazed at the crowd of people at the Vegas airport. Of course, compared to the Lubbock airport, I can see how that might be!
Danny and his wife have a beautiful, large home outside of Phoenix, complete with a swimming pool. We are hoping water therapy will really help to get her back on her feet and back to a point where she can live on her own again.
So....today we wrapped up some things at her house, Max got a Rhino bed liner put in his truck (It looks NICE!), and we've done a variety of this and that, getting ready to hit the road again on Monday.
July was not spent doing what we had originally planned to do this summer...but we wouldn't have been any other place. Plans change, and the good Lord knows what's best. I really enjoyed getting to spend some one-on-one time with my mother-in-law. She would get most talkative in the evenings after dinner, after Max would go home to the Turtle. It is those times that I will treasure and remember the most because it was then when we really talked; it was then when I really got the opportunity to get to know her a bit. When she broke her shoulder last year and came to live with us for 6 weeks, we had some of that time, as well. Neither were good circumstances for her. But making lemonade out of lemons can be a sweet experience.
Until next time....take care!
Paula
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