Two days after mom's hip replacement surgery on Wednesday afternoon / evening, she was moved over to Stonehenge rehabilitation center. It was kind of a rough transfer for her that Friday morning. She had not slept at all the night before. (Hospitals are not known for giving you restful night's sleep.) The transport person was ever so kind and ever so on time. I had barely arrived at the hospital after our early morning Friday Temple shift, when Hospital nurses came in to get her ready for the transport. They had much to do, and the transport person ended up waiting about 15 minutes for her. It seemed a pretty slick operation. Just into a wheelchair, rolling into and out of the van, and going around the block. But it was very much for her. She said she felt every bump.
They left her in the Rehab place room in her wheelchair, and there needed to be some intake questions gone over with the nursing staff. In the meantime they brought lunch since it was noon. I didn't know how long I was going to be at the hospital with Mom that day, so I had packed my lunch as well. We were both going to eat when the nurse came in. Rather than have her come back later, I just had her ask me the questions if she didn't mind me answering while Mom and I ate. I guess food is kind of important to me (duh). Mom picked at her food, did not really enjoy it that much. It was pork medallions in a Dijon sauce. She doesn't like mustard. The pork was too tough for her to eat and she spit it out. And then she just kind of wilted. She just wanted to go to bed.
I was talking to her and realize that she just needed to get into bed and she basically collapsed. Right there in the chair. Her head lolled back, she made an awful noise in the back of her throat. It was all very reminiscent of a number of things. 10 years ago after dad's surgery and while in the hospital while moving, he collapsed with a stroke. Mom and Donna were there to witness it and it was awful. Two weeks ago with Dad's death, I was there..similar noises. With Mom just being so wilted and out of it, I was thinking the same thing had happened to her! Just a day or so out of surgery, strange noise from the back of her throat, no response.. it was scary. I thought we were losing her. I did comment to the nurse that my brother Robert was going to be there in a few minutes. I hope it wasn't going to be just like when dad passed away a couple of weeks ago. David, my older brother, was coming from out of town. David missed Dad by only 5 minutes. And sure enough--Robert came to the door and said, is she all right? And I said no, she is not! And she was not. I think she stopped breathing for a while. The nurse got oxygen on her and then Mom started throwing up.
It could have been just that she didn't agree with a little bit of food that she ate. It could have been that she was just overwhelmed physically from the surgery, pain, transfer,.. so many things. And of course you all know how throwing up makes one feel. Awful. Drained. Pale. Shakey. Clammy.
We did finally get two assistants in there to help her into her bed and she was able to get comfortable and sleep. She was responsive, squeezed fingers, could feel her legs, etc. It was kind of scary to leave her there like that. Mom has a DNR. That means do not resuscitate. The nurse asked me about a dni when we met in the hall later. And that means do not intubate. We know that Mom doesn't want any excessive measures taken. She has said so many times, "Why am I even here? Why can't I just go?" Robert pointed out to her the following day that part of this life is enduring to the end. And you have to endure it with a smile. If you don't smile, you go to hell. Ha. So mom slapped a grin on her face and left it there for a while. I have also told her that we need to get our money's worth out of her government-taxes-paid-for-new hip. Medicare, you know? She needs to put some good mileage on that thing to get her money's worth. Or, our money's worth. This is our tax dollars at work! Robert's wife Janet I said that if she could make it to 90 years old, that would be nice. And mom agreed. So she's going to try to make it.
At least, that's what she said that day. Today she is rather down in the dumps. It's Sunday. Robert and Janet went over for a morning visit, I went over for an evening visit. She just wants to sleep. Pain pills are kind of doing a number on her. Her digestive tract is way too sluggish, and we don't feel like they are working at it the right way. After 87 years, mom knows what her body needs. And the nurses think that they need to do something different because that is their protocol. It is frustrating. I hope things will perk up on Monday as the weekend will be over, and maybe things will be running a little more smoothly. She is supposed to start her physical therapy on Monday. But I think she's going to be too spent to try to even try it. We do expect a lot of ups and downs through this process. It will be going on for a week or two there at the rehab place, I suspect. We shall see. And I hope to be meeting with Drs and nurses, too.
But, it has been so gratifying to see and read positive and thoughtful comments on the Facebook feed that I have posted on occasion about Mom's condition. She really is loved and appreciated by many. And I hope she knows that. I tried to share those with her this evening, but she was far to anxious to go to sleep.
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