March 29, 2009

• Home Sweet Home

  I spent nine or ten hours yesterday driving through pouring rain, gale force winds, little to no visibility and occasional fog. Most of my day looked like this:

  

  Yes, I was thinking of my xanga friends as I drove. I took this picture just for you because if I had to endure such misery, I was sure you would want me to share it with you. I know that each time I felt the van hydroplaning, you would have loved to be there to take some of the driving load off me. Every time I had to stop for gas or a bathroom or just to walk around a little and wake up I'm sure you would have been willing to get soaking wet alongside me. And did I mention it was 38 degrees? Or that I was coughing up green stuff as I drove? Bronchitis on a road trip in the freezing rain; life doesn't get any better than that. Aren't you sorry you missed out? I'll be happy to pick you up and take you with me next time. Spending time with my crazy family would make it worth your while.

  I got home just ahead of the snow. Yep. Life is good.

  The story about my mom is this: Mom lives in a small town where only one or two doctors have practices. She went into the tiny local hospital with pneumonia three or four weeks ago. While there, she was told she'd had a heart attack and left the hospital with a fistful of prescriptions for high blood pressure and heart meds. Then she started getting really forgetful. REALLY forgetful. She couldn't retain anything for five seconds. My younger brother has been living with her and dealing with the day to day stuff, organizing her medications and making sure she takes them, doing the heavy lifting, etc. My older sister has been handling the bills and crises as they arise. It was time for me to go down and see for myself what was going on and put my head together with my siblings to see what might be done.

  The day I arrived in Fort Smith, I was greeted with the news that Mom was scheduled for a nuclear stress test. She opted to have it done at one of the larger hospitals in Fort Smith, so I drove down to her town the day after my arrival, picked her up and brought her back to my sister's house. I took her to the test, then drove her home the next day. By the time we got to her house, the hospital had called to set up an evaluation for the next week. I went back a couple of days later to pick Mom up and bring her back to my sister's house. My sister was able to come with us to the evaluation where we were told that her EKG was normal - she had NOT suffered a heart attack, but they had found a possible problem during the stress test. They scheduled a heart cath. for two days later. Turns out, Mom's arteries are clear and her heart is strong.

  I am so furious with the doctor and hospital in her town right now! My sister tried multiple times over the week to call the doctor's office, but nobody answered the phone. A doctor with no answering service? Perhaps a doctor who receives kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies that make heart drugs? We are determined he will be a doctor who no longer has our mother for a patient.

  My sister and I made the unilateral decision to remove Mom from every drug except her thyroid medication and after two days she was clear-headed. I knew when she flashed her panties at me and stuck out her tongue that she was going to be alright and I could safely head home. (If you don't understand that, read my post a few previous to this titled "A Tough Old Broad and Her Undies.")

  So I drove all day through the rain and made it home before dark. Boo was happy to see me; I have a pair of very muddy jeans to prove it. And while it may be gloomy and gray outside, Brett had sunshine in a vase waiting on the table for me.

  

  There's no place like home.

  • 6:21 pm
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