Life Lately

 

The fruits of my plantings....

Another set of day lilies have bloomed. These are called Alabama Jubilee. The red orange color is just beautiful. When I drive up they just make me smile.

Mother's Day didn't turn out as planned. The children had a cookout planned and were in complete charge of it. I told my children that to me Mother's Day is everyday. I am blessed beyond measure. 

What happened?

Sunday morning, Mother texted me at 6:27 AM to ask me if I was up. Of course I was, so I called to check on her. I haven't really said much here on her condition lately, because it is just so hard to explain her symptoms. She was not doing well and really had herself stirred up, so I decided rather than taking her to immediate care places where they just prescribe her another round of antibiotics that she can't take that I would just go to the ER. I quickly got dressed and got her there by about 7:15 which was in our favor for a weekend in ER. Nothing like a weekend in the ER..

They ran tests of course. The ER doctor when I first walked in and explained her symptoms and why I was there told me it was quite possible we wouldn't get any answers, but that they would get an IV started and run some tests on her. 

After a CT scan, he thought she might have had some mini strokes as late as 3-5 days ago. They then proceeded to do an MRI. The doctor we saw once they admitted her didn't think that was the case after the MRI. He thought it was normal aging showing on the test results. Remember my mother has epilepsy and has had seizures. 

She spent the night in the hospital and got an appetite stimulant and some electrolytes in her IV. She is off balance but she says it is not like the usual vertigo in that she doesn't feel dizzy but she describes it as off balance. 

Often Mom has trouble describing her symptoms. She has her right mind but she has never been able to describe what she feels is happening to her. Nothing new at all. 

She doesn't eat enough and while she says she drinks water all the time....I wonder???

AT the end of the hospital stay, nothing was really established as to what is wrong with her other than "old age." Jeff and I discussed that the only thing they had done differently was the IV and the appetite stimulant which worked because she ate hospital food which she would NEVER have done otherwise. 

I am following up with her doctor Monday morning and her neurologist in Pensacola the first week in July to let them see all these tests and weigh in their thoughts. 

I have signed her up for Home Health to come out once a week and check her vitals. Now, she is agreeable to that right now, but trust me when she starts feeling better she will not want this. I am holding her to this for at least 6 months. This will keep us out of immediate care and in closer contact with her doctor than just me trying to call to get in.

She is also going to have some home physical therapy for now to help with her balance. An occupational therapist is also coming to evaluate her although I don't think that will be needed. Mom's home is set up well for an older person so for now she is all good. I want to keep her at her home as long as possible because she will be happier that way. 

That is life lately here.

Tyler's mom came down from Atlanta this week to keep Palmer so that I can get all this set up and working well. That is good for her to get a few days with Palmer. She has her own elderly parents in Atlanta. Hers have passed on, but her husband's (Tyler's dad) are in their upper 90s so she is well aware of the trials of all this. 

For me the biggest issue is - it is just me. Now, I could not do it without Jeff, Lindsay, and Paul Allen. They are all very helpful.

I did get a hamburger later in the day for Mother's Day. Paul Allen went ahead and grilled them and I went over for one. I told Lindsay to go to the beach and enjoy her day. She did and sent the cutest video of Tucker watching the planes fly by on the beach. A grandson after his Mimi's heart. We love our planes.

Lindsay also took this cute little picture of those sweet boys one afternoon.

Palmer was walking behind the cart last week and of course climbing into it as well. He is such a climber. I fully expect him to be walking by the time I get him back on Friday.

He also loves Gus. He rolls all over him and tugs on his ears much like Tucker did with Lemony. Gus is great with him.

We met with the home health nurse yesterday and are meeting with the physical therapist today and something else on Thursday. I am using the time to get Mother set up for success while I don't have Palmer. I miss him terribly and so does she.

I did slip away just before lunch yesterday to put my feet in the healing waters of the Gulf of Mexico. I knew I needed it. I love my bayou, but the beach is my sanity place.

I just strolled for a good while and let my troubles wash away and felt like I was ready to tackle the rest of the week.

It was a beautiful day. There were lots of people behind me, but I just kept my focus on the Gulf and tuned them out.

Tucker only wants PaPa to take him to get his haircut. He told Tyler that he could take him when he got older but for now he wanted PaPa. You can imagine how that makes PaPa feel.

He is growing up so much. I have said it before, I am so blessed to have them close by and they bring me such great joy. 

I will try to have a more interesting post next week. I have a day trip planned for Saturday. I am praying it will still happen. I won't say what it is yet in case it doesn't. The kids of course will check on Mom, but I think her sister is coming to see her anyway.

Counting blessings,

Sandy