Raw feed

My day, January 7, 2011

Woke up at 6:45 am after a night of sleep in 30 minute increments

Recovering from wicked sinus infection

Turned on the coffee pot

Took my coffee to the laundry room

Folded mountain of laundry while watching episode of Friday Night Lights on computer

Also put Christmas decorations in boxes 

Lost track of time and didn’t get Mom up until 8:24

Her first words were, “I have a terrible pain in my side. I’ve hardly slept”

Amber dropped Harrison and Olivia off so she could run to Blue Earth

Harrison is dressed in a red onesie, gray sweatpants and red socks

Olivia is in pink pjs

No words to describe how precious.

Fed Mom, Harrison, Olivia, Sam

Forgot to feed me.

Addie calls

Harrison took a nap in my arms, cuddled with GG, played on the floor

I felt stinky and gross and mad at myself for not getting a bath before the kids came.

Olivia helped take decorations off tree.

Wondered if Mom needed to see a doctor.

Worried she had pneumonia.

Or shingles

Or cancer

Or a heart attack

When Amber came back, made a doc appt for Mom in Blue Earth.

Checked the voicemails

Returned a call and promised I would put a check in the mail today.

Finally, took a bath, got dressed, put on makeup, and fixed my hair at noon.

Loaded up Mom

Stopped at her house for her mail

Stopped at café for mail

Realized that the weather had deteriorated and drove in near blizzard conditions

Mom chatted all the way,

“whose place is that?”

 “ who lives there now?”

 “can you see where you’re going?”

Went to the new clinic building.

Disoriented

Over-built

Sweet Liz checked us in.

She handed Mom the pain chart and asked her to point to her pain level.

“She can’t see very well”

Read the pain chart

Mom said “I’m here because Nina made the appointment”

(Ask me MY pain level)

The lights went off in the room as Mom and I waited for the doctor

I stood up and waved my arms and it came back on.

The doctor came in.

She had greasy blond hair, big blue eyes and a dingy white lab coat.

I found out that Mom had pooped late yesterday afternoon.

I had a sinking feeling

Finally voiced my suspicions of either pneumonia or shingles.

She did a brief exam.

Brief

Said she didn’t hear pneumonia

It might be an inflammation of something..I think her lungs…I didn’t follow

Mom stood up and asked if there was a bathroom close by.

The doctor said that because it was Friday, she was going to give her antibiotics and a round of steroids.

Otherwise she would have maybe waited a few days.

Oh, and don’t take the steroids the way the package says, it’s too confusing, take them all at once. Each day.

O. K.

Interesting to be treated by the day of the week, not symptoms.

Whatever

I have no clue what’s going on.

Sweet Liz showed Mom to the bathroom.

Back out into the blizzard

Pick up prescription

Read mail while waiting for prescription

Drive through Mc Donalds.

It’s 2:30 and I’m hungry.

As we turn on to the county road, I cannot see.

Anything

I try to eat my sandwich and keep the Trailblazer on the road

And think about what I’m going to do when we go in the ditch.

It’s a long trip home at 20 mph

Mom quietly says the pain is getting worse.

I call Sam

We decide my route home.

Mom is gasping and wincing in pain.

We made it.

I rush into the house to find a rice bag and put in the microwave to warm while Mom takes off her coat and sits in her chair.

She puts the warm bag on her side and slumps in the chair.

I give her 10 pills: 2 from the Z pack, 6 prednisone and 2 tylenol

I make some stew to put in the oven for dinner.

Then go back to the basement and finish putting away the Christmas decorations.

I didn’t go back to the office and put the check in the mail

Mom naps in the chair.

I pour a glass of wine and we read our devotions.

I give her the choice, a crossword puzzle or the Land Magazine.

She picks the Land

I read her favorite articles and love the review and recipes from the FFA cookbook.

Stew is done

Bake some Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (a treat!)
While rolls are baking, the dog is begging
I make him a scrambled egg.
He eats it in approximately 5 seconds.

Pray together

Eat and catch the last puzzle on Wheel of Fortune.

Mom heads to her room to listen to the Free Press daily reading on her special radio

I take her ice cream about 7:30 and she’s sound asleep in bed

Check again in a few minutes and she’s awake, eats her ice cream

I tell her goodnight.

Sam’s doing the dishes.

The coffeepot is ready for the morning.

My work is done.

For now

For today.

I throw a couple pieces of wood in the stove and whisper a silent prayer of thanks for our cozy home.

And decide to try to put my day into words.