I actually got to talk to my Mom for a little while today. I feel better having heard her voice. I also got a better update than I have from hearing second or third-hand ones from my brothers and my Dad.
So here's what I now know (straight from the horse's mouth)
-first they thought she had a mass in/on/near her colon
-then maybe it was her kidneys because her creatinine was high (but now her creatinine is down again so they don't think kidneys)
-they are still treating her with massive/strong antibiotics in hopes that it's an infection (white bllood cells high) and the antibiotics are helping lower the count
Given the response of the white blood cells, the theory of the moment is some type of infection (but why they don't know... or even where exactly!) ....
They did an x-ray this morning and compared it to yesterdays and it looks "better" ... or at least not worse. She was a little fuzzy on what they said about the x-ray so I'm not sure what they think about the two different ones. The doctors just aren't sure where the problem is or what it is exactly the problem is, because the x-ray images just aren't good enought. She can't have MRI (because she has a pacemaker) so they can't get a good image. I didn't get to ask my Mom if she had a CT scan because she has a tube down her throat and she can't talk for very long.
I wish I could talk to the doctor and get my questions answered. I wish I could be there and know what is happening so that my Mom doesn't have to tire herself out explaining it to me. I'm not an MD, but I've thought a lot about medical issues and do a lot of reading so I do hear things differently than my brothers or my parents and I have follow-up questions that they don't ask. It's frustrating not knowing the answers, though even if I knew the answers to my questions, it wouldn't tell me for sure what is wrong with her, so maybe it doesn't ultimately matter. (It would make me feel better to know the answers to my questions though. I feel VERY out of control here.)
It's really risky to do exploratory surgery on her given her heart issues and other health conditions.
It really sucks to get older. The alternative is worse.
She doesn't think I should come home yet. I do want to plan a trip home soon. Traveling with little ones is hard. I don't know what to do.
1 comment:
I haven't read your blog for a couple of days and so much has happened. My thoughts are very much with you, your mother and father. It is horrible to be at a distance and not be there in person, horrible not to be able to get answers to the questions you have. I hope they work out what it is soon.
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