Getting Settled

While all the pieces aren't in place yet, we are getting a few things settled in regards to my mom's care. Her left leg (the one with the clot) looks much better and the swelling is 90% gone. The right hip which had the surgery appears to be healing well and not causing her too much pain. So things are going well in that area. We all think that she looks so much better than she has in the past weeks and yet we've come to realize that sometimes some of you haven't seen her for a while and don't realize how sick she truly is. This post is going to be honest so that if you visit, you are prepared and so that you know where we are. If you do come to visit or call, we would like to request that focus on the positives in your life and not focus on her sickness. You can read the rest of this blog or not, depending on your comfort level.

My mom is able to move herself from her bed to her wheelchair. She now spends the majority of her day in her hospital bed in the living room of the house. This is primarily where she stays. She will sit up for short periods of time but gets tired really easily. She needs assistance with lots of things she didn't before she fell. While that is normal after a hip fracture, we all have to remember that she also suffers from cancer. We haven't any lab test to tell us but it is obvious that cancer has returned. Her cancer causes fluid build up in her lungs and abdomen. While her lungs appear to be OK, her abdomen is distended. She looks like she is about 6-7 months pregnant. She is very self conscious of her stomach so please don't mention it. We face a quandary because the fluid causes some discomfort and continues to grow but to drain the fluid presents a big risk due to her anticoagulant medicine. Anyway, she will let us know when she wants to do something about the fluid. She is also back on oxygen full time. We now have two agencies assisting us with her care. We take turns covering the rest of the care so that she can remain at home as long as possible. It takes some coordination but it is worth it.

She is very excited to be home and she appears much more relaxed. I keep promising a calendar but every time I have one about ready to go, the plans change. So I'm not making any promises tonight, just call if you want to visit. Oh and bring a sweater because she likes the air conditioning down in the freezing range.