Hi Everyone,
Today was a pretty good day (relatively speaking, of course). Mom's numbers continue to improve to the point that she's still on track to be discharged from the hospital to the hotel room tomorrow. Both her visit with her NP and her Doctor went really well and she got gold stars from both of them.
Today her Nurse Katarina did a "mock discharge" with Mom. It's pretty clear that she understands the importance of giving Mom plenty of time to soak in the information and ask questions. She just went through what Mom can expect for the discharge. Of course, with the way Mom works, we also ended up learning all about what to expect for the next year (well, that might be a stretch... but I think we got up to Thanksgiving Dinner before it was time for Katarina to punch out for the night).
As long as Mom's on immuno-suppressants (these keep her own body from fighting off the donor's system too aggressively) then she will be limited in her activities. We learned that Mom will NOT be allowed to clean at home for a little while. For most people this would be cause for a celebration, but Mom is pretty bummed. She went through the whole gambit of her routine in hopes that there was SOMETHING she could do to keep the house tidy. She did end up hitting the jackpot with two things - laundry and unloading a clean dishwasher. I offered to bring mine over for her to do since she was so dang excited. (I'm joking... I only just thought of that and she's asleep so maybe I'll have to run it by her in the morning!)
Another thing Mom is going to have to go without is her gardening. She is allowed to water on days that aren't too windy as long as she has sneakers and a mask on. And a ton of sunblock. And a long sleeved shirt. And a hat. For all of you amateur sleuths out there that haven't figured it out with these last 3 clues - she also can't be in the sun. Or the pool. At least for a little while.
The day kind of went like that last paragraph. It was like one big flowchart. She can do activities that don't expose her to soil, standing water, any unnecessary germs, etc. There are a lot of caveats and we will have to use a lot of common sense to keep her safe from infection for the time being. This is definitely a challenge we're ready to meet. Although... we may have to borrow some common sense from some of you as we are all pretty fried in the brain department these days.
Mom is understandably upset about some of these restrictions. It's hard to see the forest for the trees when you can't get a solid timeline. If someone could just tell her she can prune and water her plants, drive her car and maybe dip her feet in the pool I think a lot of the frustration would be easier to manage. She was a little blue for these conversations. Luckily, Aunt Bettie sent me to Buffalo with one of the neatest presents for Mom and it sure came in handy. It's a jar full of "pick-me-ups" and Mom was instructed to pull one out whenever she is feeling sad (we're not cheating, I promise!). I grabbed the jar as soon as Katarina left and we gave it a shot. She pulled out "You are a wise shopper". Isn't that the truth. It really brought a smile to Mom's face and made her feel proud - you all know how meaningful of a compliment that is to Mom. I have a feeling this pick-me-up-jar is going to be pretty clutch.
Mom was hilarious, adorable, charming, inquisitive (surprise!) and she's already decided she'll fill her time with other things that she CAN do. Like sewing, painting, playing the piano, tap-dancing (joking!) and catching up on all the re-runs of the "Real Housewives of Orange County" (not joking!). She's also informed me that she has mounds of magazines in hiding spots (so that Dad doesn't get mad at her) and she's looking forward to reading them. I'm talking stockpiles of things like "Good Housekeeping" from 1986 with Olivia Newton-John on the cover. I think she'll have plenty to keep her busy... Hopefully she doesn't end up buying a big teased-hair wig, blue eyeshadow, frosted pink lipstick and giant shoulder-pads or Lisa and I may have to intervene.
She's really looking forward to getting out tomorrow. She will have to go to the clinic every day for at least a week and then the visits will get fewer and farther between until she is ready to be sent packing back home. We're still on track for this to take 100 days total from the transplant, so 80 more days from here.
Hope you all have a good night and keep those prayers coming!
Love,
Amy
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