Salt Lake City, Utah: Dave and I are so very happy to report that his Mom has made dramatic improvements over the past few days. We can't thank you all enough for the good thoughts, prayers, emails and messages.
Instead of having to move Mom to a temporary rehab place (i.e. care center, nursing home, or whatever they are called these days), her doctors felt she was a perfect candidate for their fabulous in-patient rehab program in the same hospital. Yeah! We all agreed, the hospital set-it-up and she was moved to a different floor yesterday. All the moving and meeting new nurses was a bit tiring, but if you know my Mother-in-Law you know she is ready to accept the Big Challenge ahead of her and will no doubt be dancing with her therapists by next week. It is also a delicate balance experimenting with her Parkinson medications to find the correct "cocktail".
Dave's Mom is now in a very serious "boot camp". Over the next few weeks Mom will work with a physical therapist, an occupational therapist and a speech therapist to get her in shape to take care of her personal care (dressing, bathing) and will make sure she can make a simple meal, do a load of laundry, walk on her own (even if she will occastionally require a cane), play a game of cards, write a note - all the things she could do before she fell. The hospital has a laundry room and a kitchen for the patients to use. No more hospital gowns. No more IV's. No more applesauce and mashed potatoes. Mom is in sweats, ate a hamburger patty and is wearing lipstick.
The other news is the weather. Dorothy, I've a feeling we're not in Indio anymore. It must have snowed for ten hours yesterday! A blizzard. White-out conditions at the hospital. The snow will continue a bit overnight (Friday), but the temperatures will climb to above freezing Saturday... only to be followed by another storm Sunday.So, we are making our escape tomorrow. Gene went home to get a few things (clothes!) for Mom and will return so she will not be alone (though from now on, her family will be sitting alone in her room a lot, as she will be in therapy over 4 hours a day). One of her sons or Gene will be with Mom every day until she is released.
And now you can feel sorry for me... or be mad at me for grossing-you-out:
Here is my foot ONE WEEK after a Red Stripe beer bottle landed (cap-end-first) on my foot. The swelling is pretty-much gone, but there is a red bump at the impact site. Please do not give me grief about being in a hospital all week and not having it X-rayed. I am not a doctor and I don't play one on TV but I don't think anything is broken. I have just been standing on it too much and not icing it enough. My priorities have been elsewhere. Timing could not be better to be helping Dave and Mom in Utah, because there is no way I can run or wear NIKE's right now.We have been all week at the very nice Kimpton Monaco in downtown Salt Lake City. They have been incredibly accommodating (pun intended) because we didn't know if our stay would be for one day or 20 days. Every evening when we return to the hotel, the valet asks how Mom is feeling. We are too tired (and the frozen streets are too treacherous to drive and - since I can only wear ballet flats on my injured foot - we can't walk anywhere on the slushy sidewalks) in the evening to go out, so we dine at the hotel restaurant. The dining staff also inquire about Mom's day.
Hotel Monaco - Salt Lake City (basic King room)We have a few kids to visit on our way back to Indio, so check back for updates. Until my next update, I remain, your optimistic correspondent.