Glad I went

Spent a couple of sunny Sunday hours with my mom in her hospital room. I brought this bear for her to cuddle while she's laid up. She gave him to me when I was a toddler and he was a fine, empathetic companion whenever I was sick. Seeing Pouting Bear again seemed to mean a lot to her, so I'm glad I did it.

My mom is very feisty because she's sleep-deprived and in a lot of pain. They still don't know what's wrong with her. Kidneys? Bowel obstruction? Bladder infection? Her GI specialist was out of town this weekend, but her GP (whom she loves) says that doctor's absence gave him a fine opportunity to get her hydrated and healthy in preparation for tests on Monday.

After chatting with her and meeting her nurses, I am more confident about leaving for my vacation on April 1. For while my mother is a sick old lady, I am nowhere near as worried about her as I was when she was battling COPD and pneumonia in Spring 2009. She is sharp and involved in her own care, and I'm confident that by the time I leave she will be diagnosed and will have a treatment plan in place.

It was also nice to see my niece again. She's in town this week for her early spring break, and she's like a tonic for my mother. A lot more take-charge than I am. I sat in the chair and interacted with nurses, while my niece fluffed pillows and checked IVs, etc. If she didn't know what she was doing (and I suspect she really doesn't), it didn't show!