On April 20th, my mom fell in the dining room and hit her forehead and the bleeding freaked me out so much that I called an ambulance, which took her to the emergency room. After stitching up the cut, they admitted her to the hospital because they said her blood pressure was jumping all over the place & that's what caused her to faint. They adjusted her meds, which stabilized her blood pressure and did a bunch of tests to make certain she didn't have a concussion or other aftereffects. After an evaluation, it was advised that she go to a nursing home which specialized in physical therapy to build up her strength and improve her balance. With great reluctance, she agreed, so she went to a pleasant place surrounded by trees called Bradley Bay. After being there for a couple days, she caught a cold, which developed into pneumonia and she was rushed to the emergency room again when the coughing turned into choking & shortness of breath. It was serious enough that she was put into the ICU section with oxygen mask, several kinds of antibiotics and other meds. At 87, I was really worried about her, since I know it's difficult for an elderly person to shake off pneumonia, especially with the complications she has, of heart trouble and emphysema. She was in the hospital that time for 9 days and was sent back to Bradley Bay on May 7th, where she restarted PT, only this time, was left weaker from the pneumonia. It's taken awhile for her to regain her strength after that set back, but in the last week & a half, she's made great progress, walking farther each day and getting better on the practice steps. Last Friday, the social worker there said that she is scheduled to come home on Wednesday, June 3rd.We don't know yet if she will continue the oxygen, as they are trying to wean her off of it or at least reduce the amount she needs. There is also the possibility of her having someone come to do in-home physical therapy.
Most days my sister and I visited her, either together or separately, depending on my sister's work schedule. I took magazines, word search puzzle books and even the Scrabble board in to entertain her. She hated the hospital food, so we would take her in more appealing food, such as a big salad or a baked potato from Wendy's. Since she's been at Bradley Bay, she's been more alert and clear headed than she's been in months, so different from the paranoia and strangeness she displayed this past winter. I hope that she can continue to be mobile enough to get out of the apartment at least occasionally, because the isolation was really doing damage, both mentally and physically.
Even though the nearly daily drives to the hospital and rehab facility was tiring, I did get to see more spring foliage than I have for many years. It was fascinating to go from cold and occasional snowy weather to seeing everything turn green and all those beautiful spring flowers. That was quite glorious. So along with all the stress and worry and tearful days these last few months have brought, there was also seeing nature transform in a wondrous way. Perhaps that is why I feel optimistic?