Yesterday we shared our first Thanksgiving together as husband and wife and it did make me thankful to have him. I know no one reads this so maybe its more for my remembrance then anything, but my mom is in the hospital. Here is the timeline of how I think/ know things happened.
- Friday November 12, my dad and mom went to Orlando for some reason
- Monday November 15th they came back and my mom thought she had a boil on her butt.
- Friday November 19th I had hung out with her running errands. She seemed fine. Told me about the boil and that it really hurt but hopefully it would leak soon or maybe it had started to leak and she was greatful that it would get better
- Saturday November 20th Pat and I went to dinner with My sister Holly, her husband Don, My dad, and Don's mom Sharon. Mom didn't come because she went to urgent care/ right time medicine to have her "boil" checked out.
- Sunday November 21st Talked to holly She said it was an infection. Called mom and she said it hurts to sit but she had med's and hopefully it will help her feel better.
- Monday November 22 Got a call from Dad at 5:40 on my drive home from work, they were in the ER at Anne Arundle medical for 10 hours and they are going to admit mom to watch the infection and give her meds
- Tuesday November 23 Drs are talking about surgery but are hopeful the meds will work and they wont have to do surgery, have a name for the infection: cellulitis,
- Weds November 24 Get a text from holly @ 3 shes going to have surgery.
- Weds November 24th later in the night, They take her to have surgery. Told us her kidneys are working at 15% they remove 80% and are hopeful with the outcome. Mom comes back to her room and is out of it because of meds. She calls Don Santa and was very excited about it.
- Tues November 25th *THANKSGIVING!* Pat and I arrived at around 11 after letting moms dog out and some other things. Mom was awake and talking however my sister said "look who's here its Suzie and Pat!" Mom then said "No thats Holly and Suzie" She is also when asked what year is saying 1962. Does not know the president or who Don is. When asked who don was she said "My wonderful husband" when asked his name she said nothing. They believe its the Aphasia returning from when she had a stroke 4 years ago. Blood pressure is very low, sugar levels are normally above the 200's gotten as high as into the 400's. They want to do more scans chest and head and need to move her onto a pad so they can lift her and wont need for her to walk. While doing this she was in lots of pain. The doctors looked at the infected area and told us it had spread, that they would need to do surgery again. But before they did surgery they would move her to the ICU to stableize her they want her as stable as can be before they preform surgery. When they get the test results back we are informed they are going to transfer her to Shock Trauma @ the University of Maryland Medical. They have a air chamber there that will help with the infection and its spreading it is not getting oxygen to the area and that will help. Called Eileen, mom's sister, told her to make arrangements to come and she and Dale would be staying with Pat and I.
Meanwhile Pat and I went back home picked up some things went to mom and dads house got the turkey -the stuffing *whoops* got Murray & Winston dropped moms stuff off at the house and then went to the Wagmans. Matt works with Dad and they are good friends with my family, their daughter Abby was one of my flower girls. They offered to cook our turkey for us and we are so grateful for that. One less thing to worry about. They gave us food and then Pat Murray Winston and I went to go to the Bud and Sharon Slacks to drop off the dogs and wait to hear if they have moved mom yet or not. Sharon cooked thanksgiving meal. When we were 3 minutes away we got a call, Mom was being moved and dad had to run home real quick. I was to meet him at home.
At the Slacks, we dropped off the dogs, made plates of food and got some desserts and then drove back to my parents. There we ate the food that was so kindly given to us. We had hardly eaten all day and were very grateful to have some thanksgiving food. I was happy to eat thanksgiving with my dad and my husband even if it was slightly rushed. Knowing my dad had some food made me feel better. He asked us to clean up the house a little for him while he went to the hospital. We did what he asked and a little more then headed on our way.
Got lost trying to find a parking garage for UM Medical but eventually found signs. Went in asked information where to go they gave us wristbands and told us which way to go. When we got to Shock Trauma, since my dad was already there I was the only one allowed up so Pat stayed downstairs in the waiting area. Mom was much better, she recognized me and was saying how awful of a day it was. Her heart rate was up and we were grateful for that. Since no phones are allowed up in the shock trauma area we had to turn off our phones. They gave us gowns and gloves to wear so as to protect us and to protect her from more infection. After talking to my dad decided that I would go back down stairs and make phone calls. Called my sister to let her know I had met up with Dad, Called my uncle to let him know the best thing he can do for us is pray. Called Sharon because my sister didnt answer, turns out Holly and don were on their way. I went back up stairs and told Jasmine that my sister was comeing and i would go downstairs when she got there because i knew only two people could come at once and we would trade off. Let her knew what my sister looked like and her husband, told Jasmine Holly and Dons names. She brought holly up and they let us all be up there. Well us 3 myself my dad and Holly.
Talked to doctors, they were going to have surgery tonight. They took her to do tests and we went back down stairs. They brought her back and we went up stairs. Talked to more doctors. Stayed by moms side until she decided she did not want her oxygen anymore. Then it turned bad. She wanted to go home. This part was hard for my Dad and Holly and I because she was not listening to us. Dad signed the consent forms and said do what you need to do we are going to go downstairs and wait. They brought us back up about 15-20 minutes later once they put her to sleep and put a breathing tube down her. They were going to put the breathing tube down to help her breath during the surgery so they just did it a little sooner. Dad went back downstairs while Holly and I waited upstairs until they took her away. When they took her away we went downstairs. The surgery took about 2 hours. It was a long wait. The doctor came down and told us it was a short surgery he's done some that were 6+ hours and this was only a couple hours. She is a very sick lady and will need several surgery over the next few weeks. Recovery will more likely then not take a few months. THey had talked about giving mom a temp Colostomy because of where the infection was they didn't want fecal matter getting into the infection but they would see when they were in there. They didn't need to so that was good. They said she was very sick, and we could pop our heads in but she was still asleep. We decided it best to go home and go to bed ourselves.
