Friday's Update...such a roller coaster!

Life is a roller coaster….at least mom’s recovery is.

When I went in at lunch yesterday she was in a fog and I soon saw it was the pain.
But she would focus long enough to tell me what was giving her such a fit. So I
Sat and watched. She yelped and I saw the foot draw towards her and I knew
From experience just what was happening…. muscle spasms. I had an awful time
with them after my knee replacement. Before I could do anything she had rung the
nurses bell. I turned it off and went and ask them to come back and when did they
last give her a pain pill. They said 8AM and she was due one. Every 4-5 minutes
she had a spasm and I could see them. After 30 minutes and no help I went to the
nurses desk again. She was talking ugly and that is hard for me to handle. She told me
something snapped so just let her die among a lot worse…they told me go get the
physical therapist. All the while the doctor was sitting there. The therapist said she
would be there in a minute and did the nurse know I came to her. I told her she told
me to. About 20 minutes later she came and told mom if you say something popped
we will have to transport you for tests. That made mom mad. I told the lady that
this was every 4-5 minutes so she stayed and sure enough one hit again. She said
they were severe and she would tell the doctor…about time. So we waited. She wanted
to get out of there and was in such awful pain. Thirty minutes passed and the doctor finally
came. She was in the middle of a severe one and he went from “now what” to real
concern. He tried to massage but that was way to painful. He had heat brought in
but she yelped so bad he had them take it away. We talked about muscle relaxers
and he said they hate to use them with elderly folks because they get confused and can fall.
I asked if a low dose help. He said he had to use them. So he had 2 pain pills brought,
One for anxiety and ordered a muscle relaxer as soon as they could get it. Than the social
Worker called for me. She said mom wanted to go to assisted living because her friends were
Telling her there were rooms available. Did I know she could not afford it. I told her I sure did
Because $3000.00 a month were out of the question for mom. She than gave an application
for the government run part but said there is a 1-2 year waiting list. I could write a
book about institutions and especially church based ones not making it impossible for a
parent of our having to pay an arm and leg to stay there. Remember I kept my MIL (nana)
and Uncle Joe her brother and we gave the excellent care and it did not take this awful
amount of money. Folks we have to find a way to care for our parents!

When I got back to the room Mom’s good friend Mary Zook was there. She looked at me
So intently (the nurse in her comes out) and said you are exhausted to which I replied I
Felt I could hardly walk. She told me to take a dau off. Mom roused and said “No”. If she
Is not her they don’t pay attention to me. Mary walked me out and said please stay out of here
A day. I will see. I am fighting an awful chest cold.

I came back to the room and hit the bed after taking some more HBP Coricdin. After
A pizza I took a hot bath of Epson salts and they just read. This morning I do feel a bit better.

Today is a new day and I will rejoice in it! The weather is cold…..it was 4 (wind chill was –6)
when we went to bed. But it is clear and we may take a drive this afternoon….over the
mountain to Franklin, WV. It is a beautiful drive up the mountain.

Pray:
***The muscle spasms stop and she can return to therapy. (He said none until he could see her
Monday at noon)
*** She may learn to relax and not be so hateful with her words.
***Healing of the bones
***She can take the Fosmax they started her on today.

PRAISES:
***Friends and family to pray for us.
***The ability to work with my hands. I would go nuts if I could not stitch.
***John
***The love for us by our 3 kids. I just love my Crystal, Nicole and Ryan, their
partners Robert, Doug and Amanda and my precious Skyler, Adam, Will and Zoe!
Thanks kids for your love.