And the Good News Is…

Click here for additional photos.

When I finished writing this morning's blog, I went into Mom's room yet another time to see how she was doing. She was in the bathroom and told me that she was feeling much better. I began cooking some quick oatmeal for her while I brought some orange juice to her room. My conversation with her woke the girls at about 6:30 a.m. and they wanted breakfast, so I went with them to the kitchen, allowed them to turn on the t.v., toasted and sliced a bagel for them to share, poured them orange juice and milk, sliced some strawberries, washed some blueberries, put out a bowl of cherries and made a pot of old-fashioned oatmeal for Saul. I asked Mom if she wanted the oatmeal in her room and was pleased to hear that she was coming to the kitchen to eat it. Then, I went back to bed. Saul awoke about 7:30 a.m. and covered for me. I awoke to the sound of the telephone which no one answered (Saul had gone outside to water the pots on the deck and Mom rarely answers these days). I missed the first call and was able to pick up the next one which was Roxy. While I was speaking to her, Ken called and I related all my concerns and a rundown of everything that had occurred since Mom had come home. He made suggestions as to how to proceed to get in touch with the doctors. Then I spoke with Adele. The first caller had been Eric, the visiting nurse, who was verifying that he would be arriving between 10 and 11 a.m. I was ecstatic that he was not calling to arrange a visit, but was actually visiting! He arrived at 10:20 a.m. and answered all the really troubling questions that had haunted me a few hours earlier. In the course of examining Mom, he determined that she was no longer in afib and that all her numbers were good. I was even more ecstatic! But his answers still left questions about why none of us had been contacted to discuss the decision to send Mom home in afib.

Adele had tried to reach Mom's general physician and was waiting for a call. While I was deciding who to call next, Aunt Ruth called and we spoke for quite a while. She suggested that finding and questioning the discharging doctor might not be as helpful as contacting her cardiologist, who had probably put in the order in the first place to have Mom released. I called the hospital and obtained the number of his practice. I explained to the receptionist my concerns about Mom's release and she said she would have someone from the practice return my call. We also made an appointment for Mom in a week's time. Right after I hung up, her physician called and, although he had not yet received a report from the hospital, was able to allay my fears about the conditions of her release and discuss the new medication she had been prescribed. He assured me that in no way was her condition dire and recommended that I speak with the cardiologist about the plan for her treatment. Right after I finished that conversation, the cardiologist's assistant returned my call and further assured me that they planned to actively monitor her condition and in no way had written her off.

By 1:00 p.m., I was finally able to get dressed and eat some breakfast. I was relaxed and happy enough to accompany Saul and the girls to Beachcombers so I could be there for Izzy's first swimming lesson. Sami passed the deep water swimming test yesterday which entitles her to access any area of the pool without an accompanying adult. She was beside herself with joy at her accomplishment. The girls began with art projects in the grove before joining us in the pool area. After Izzy's excellent lesson, before heading home, the girls had their faces painted--Sami as a bunny, and Izzy as a butterfly.

Mom had warmed up some of the Trader Joe's soup in the microwave before we arrived home and she ate two bowls of it for dinner. Saul had gone and picked up her new medication and after dinner, she allowed him to check to make sure she was taking the correct dosages according to the new plan (a milestone in an ongoing struggle we have had to monitor her medication). During dinner, I spoke with Ari, who called to relay helpful and hopeful information about Mom's condition that he had researched on the Internet. After showering and putting the girls to bed, I spoke to my cousin Bob, who called to find out how Mom was doing. Then, Saul and I put in a few hours on my computer work. I think I will be able to get a good night's sleep now.