Troubled Times

Thought I'd better explain why I've been neglecting my blog the past couple of weeks. I have been reading, finished three books in fact, but haven't had the time or energy to write reviews. Ten days ago my mother (86) went into hospital for knee surgery. We'd been talking about it but with her history of heart disease she decided it wasn't worth the risk. Then one morning she couldn't get out of bed. She couldn't stand and certainly couldn't walk. The knee had gotten so bad that without the surgery she would have to live in a wheelchair from that point on. She decided to take the risk and have the surgery. A few hours after the surgery she was awake, sitting up and talking. We were all thrilled it went so well. The next day, she had a heart attack. The hospital called the family in because it didn't look like she'd make it through the night. When we got there, her blood pressure was 46/24. They moved her into ICU and she began to rally. That was nine days ago and it's been a roller coaster ever since. One minute we're losing her and an hour later she's sitting up, talking and laughing. Some days she can't eat at all, then the next day she'll eat three meals. Some days the least little bit of energy expended, like moving from the bed to a chair, leaves her heart pounding, her stomach nauseated and her body drained. Her kidney's have malfunctioned. She had a bleed into her stomach. She's been wheezing on and off as fluid builds up but then her breathing returns to normal and she feels better for a while. We can't really say it's day to day, it's more like hour by hour. At some point in every 24 hour period her condition deteriorates badly, but so far she's been able to bounce back every time. Most nights we've stayed with her overnight because it was just so unpredictable, but tonight and last night we felt reasonably comfortable about leaving her. She's exhausted and frustrated, but keeps bouncing back. She's been transferred to different floors 4 times now and we're finding that difficult. It absolutely wears her out, and each time we have to bring the new nurses up to speed on what's been happening. She's in a rehab section now, with the emphasis on getting the use of her leg back. I'd rather she be in a Cardiac unit where her heart can be monitored, but I know the nurses are doing the best they can.

We don't know if things will settle down or continue like this. For those of you who pray, my Mum needs peace of mind and my sisters and I need strength to deal with whatever each day brings. Nerves are beginning to fray. I'll check in again in a few days. Thanks for your support.

Dianne