March Madness

I know that most of you probably think that March Madness has something to do with Basketball... but I am here to tell you a different version.

Unlike most of my blog updates, this one is not heavy on pictures or about wonderful things we have seen or great places we have visited or wonderful people with whom we are traveling. This update is about LIFE.

When I headed for Minnesota on March 5th, I had no idea what was in store for mom, or me or our family. I was lucky to get a window seat with no one in the center seat, so at least the flight was comfortable and I could stretch out. When I arrived, Jon was there to pick me up and drive me to Kenyon, my hometown. When we got to my childhood home, I walked into a mess! The cleanup and fixup after the fire was in full swing - the frig was in the dining room for gosh sakes. I began to wonder how my mother had survived any of this ordeal.

The next few days included trips to the hospital and conversations with nurses and doctors. Mom's burn was infected and she would definitely have to have it scraped. But, because of medicare rules, she would not be able to stay in the hospital the extra couple of days. So, we moved her into the Sunset Home (a terrible name for a nursing home). It was not a decision that was made by us, it was made by the doctors at the hospital. Nonetheless, it was a very difficult time.

My mother has been a widow for 17 years and has developed a strong and independent nature that makes us all proud. She is also a woman that does not adjust to change readily. For over 60 years, she has lived in our family home that was built by my dad and my grandfather. The nursing home was a drastic change and not easily made. I brought down a couple of pictures, a candy dish (for the great grand kids to feel more at home) and a quilt that was made by her sister 50 years ago. Her favorite throw and a few clothes and the room was suppose to be a temporary home - not an easy transition.

During the week, we made the trip back to the hospital for her surgery. It was successful, but mom has a tough time with sedation and for a while in the recovery room, I thought she was talking to dad and that maybe she was crossing over... A few hours later, we were back at "the home" and I had a new story to tell.

At one point in time while mom was coming out of the sedation, she opened her eyes, leaned close to me and said, in a stage whisper, "I'll get my sweater, you get the car, let's get outa here." and then her eyes closed and she was back in lala land. I have no idea, where she was or where we were going, but we were going together and that's a good thing.

I was in MN for 10 days and spent most of each day and late into the evening with mom. On Monday, when it came time to leave for my flight, cousins came from the cities to pick me up, we shared lunch with mom and then it was time to say good-bye. She stood to give me a hug and then said, "Just Go." and I have to admit, it cut to the core.

Two days later, she was back in the hospital. When I got the call from "the home", I thought it might be depression taking over but in a couple of hours, when the calls came from my brother and my neices, I realized it was much more serious. Congestive Heart Failure had caused her to gain 13 pounds in 5 days. Kidneys were a problem. Breathing was difficult. Bottom line, by Friday at 1 pm, Mike and I were in the car about to embark on a very long road trip. We had packed hurriedly and arranged for motorhome storage at the resort in Palm Springs. I had put my "garden" in the back of the Jeep and put in enough clothes to cover all possible activities because we really did not know what to expect.

In Gallup, New Mexico, where we stopped on Friday night, my tomato plants froze and so did the hibiscus that was such a beautiful shade of rose. On Saturday morning, a spring snowstorm had closed Intestate 40 for 100 miles so we dropped south to 60 and added over a hundred miles to our already long trip. News from MN was that mom was still very weak and they thought she might have a blood clot. In Pratt, Kansas, we stayed at the worst motel I have been in for many years. By 6:30 on Sunday morning, we were on our way through yet another spring snow. Around Wichita, roadways were slick and cars were in the ditch. As we got farther north, the roads improved and when we reached MN, mom was much improved!

Today is Monday and she was discharged from the hospital today and is back at the home. Jim and Monica are flying back to Florida tomorrow. Mike and I are staying a week during which time we hope to see family and friends and take care of a couple of doctors appts. I plan to spend a part of each day with mom. Hopefully, with March coming to a close, the madness of the month will end. Hopefully mom will adjust to her new "temporary" environment. Hopefully, future blog entries will be filled, once again, with photos and stories of places we've been and things we have seen. Hopefully...