I return to Miami today and leave Mom fairly stable, but at least out of the hospital. She was discharged last Sunday, and by Wednesday morning we were back at the ER because she had not properly digested the food she ate on Tuesday and her stomach was destroyed. On Wednesday morning I was afraid she would be hospitalized again, but thank G-d she wasn’t. Then this morning there was another scare, but eventually she got better on her own and not only did she eat some crackers, we were able to take her to the beach, nearby.
I’m dead beat, and tired to the bone. Even now I am awake as I get ready to fly out to Miami, having just finished packing my suitcase. I know I’m gonna crash once I sit in the plane. I return worried but thankful for the few victories we had: hemoglobin stable and even increasing a bit after discharge; digestive system settling down and starting to work with Mom, not against her; not in the hospital.
Here’s hoping that my next trip is under far better circumstances.
I’ve been here for a week now and things have been very much up and down, though looking to stabilize now. My wife joined me down here last week, which was heaven-sent as she’s my pillar of strength and she was able to lend me her support during a couple of rough spots during the weekend. Mom continues in the hospital and she’s still loosing blood through G-d-knows-where; she’s been transfused a total of 6 pints of blood since Thursday, May 28th and she may have one more put in tomorrow. For the most part she’s managing her pain in the legs and back, though a few times she’s been surprised by how bad the pain can get if she doesn’t take her medicines on time. Honestly, we’re at a loss at the moment as to what to do next, though of immediate concern is getting her digestive tract working properly on its own and trying to slow down the internal bleed (99% sure it’s in the small intestine). Thankfully, overall she’s been strong and willfull, so that helps immensely (plus I know me being here helps). If she’s stable enough I have plans to take a night off to hang out with my friends and roleplay a bit (the Star Wars: The Sith Triumvirate Primetime Adventures game) this coming Wednesday. I’ll continue to update as we move along.
Mom’s situation has gotten delicate so I am flying today (in about 2 hours, actually) back to PR.
As always, I enter a low-online-access zone. I will try to do updates as I can (check my @Highmoon account on Twitter, as I can text messages from my phone there).
I will thank you ahead of time for all the good wishes and prayers. G-d knows we need them.
I’ve been back for a whole week now, and given the various updates, it’s good I waited to send this one out.
I returned to Miami last Friday, May 1st, and that same afternoon, Mom was discharged from the hospital, after 38 days in it. She is now living with my sister so someone can keep an eye on her while she recovers. She still has the clots in her left leg, but she’s using an anticoagulant to help control the swelling that would otherwise render her leg useless. She also continues to take her medicine for the tumor, and so far it seems to be doing well.
The last week has been one of adjustments, but I continue to be amazed and humbled by my Mother’s fighting spirit, even on the days when she’s overwhelmed. Right now it’s a matter of helping her learn to adjust to her new lifestyle, and continue to keep an eye on the development of the tumors to see if they go into remission (G-d willing). She’ll have more CT scans done in the near future to keep track of things.
It took me a full week to recover, and I’m now back in full to my regular routine. I think I will be going down to Puerto Rico sometime in June just to check up on her and help her out with whatever she may need.
Thanks a million to every single person, whether close friend, acquaintance or even people who only know me through my podcast/blog/company/etc. who sent a good word, thought, prayer or wish our way, whether by written or spoken means. I am sure that it was that massive wave of positivity and caring that worked wonders in Mom’s health and allowed her to go back home, regardless of the adjustments needed. I am forever grateful.
Last Tuesday my Mom was hospitalized again, this time with a blood clot in her left leg and low red cell count. By today she’s already doing better as far as her cell count is concerned, and the clot is still in its place. She’ll be having a couple more tests in the next three or four days to determine how best to treat the clot.
Needless to say, I am only half here since Tuesday. I have been considering flying to PR again, but with Passover just over a week and a half away, it makes things tricky (if regular kosher in PR is hard, Pesach will be nigh impossible). Hopefully she’ll be out of the hospital and ok by the time Passover’s done, but if not, then I’ll most likely fly again in late April.
Good thing I have frequent traveler plans in various airlines.
This is not exactly how I would have liked to spend 3 weeks in PR, but G-d has different plans.
Briefly: my Mom was hospitalized, had surgery to deal with 2 hernias, and was readmitted with some pulmonary complications. She’s doing better now, thank G-d. I’ll be her till March 3.
My internet connection is spotty (thank heavens for Starbucks’ invasion of the island) so don’t expect too much during this time.
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