Thursday, March 5: Snow today. Green Hills nurse was slated to come visit and evaluate mom for her stay. Evaluation moved to Friday.

Friday, March 6: Visit to her doctor. The straight catheterization at the hospital resulted in a nosocomial infection. Mom was put on sulfamethoxazole. I grew worried that the sulfa drug was not strong enough and called the EMTs to bring mom back to the hospital. She was dismissed shortly after our arrival and the doctor assured me that she would be fine. I was hoping for an IV antibiotic to push her recovery.

Saturday, March 7: Rob and I dropped mom off at a local assisted-living facility.

Sunday, March 8: Rob dropped me off at Carol’s house, where her son and daughter-in-law drove us all to Newark Airport for a week in Kauai.

Thursday, March 13: Mom falls on her back and hits her head at the nursing home. No cuts, just abrasions and a sore back. They have her taken to St. Joe’s. I receive notification from mom’s hospital doctor. Barbara, my neighbor and an LPN, is horrified upon seeing mom, who has also had a horrible reaction to the sulfa drug. Her skin reportedly was bright red and swollen. The nursing home should have been more concerned about mom’s drug reaction than about her fall. I remained in touch with the doctor, nurses, Rob, and Barbara until I returned home.

Monday, March 16: Home at long last. Mom is thoroughly confused and exhausted. Rob and I agree that we provide the best care right here at home. No more respite care for mom or us any more.

Hospital orders tell us to be sure mom gets 6 to 8 glasses of water per day. We’re lucky if she sips 2 ounces per day. We try juices, but even then, she quickly has her fill. No way to flush the toxins from her system otherwise, but we try. But now, there is another problem. Mom has somehow hurt her right leg. We assume this is a result of the fall in the nursing home.

Tuesday, March 17: We let mom sleep until 1:00 pm. The experience exhausted her and us. She ate breakfast as usual and went back to bed early afternoon. At least at home, no one will awaken her to take her blood pressure.

Wednesday, March 18: Mom is up at a decent hour. I showered her and led her to the kitchen for breakfast, where she asked Rob repeatedly what time he got up and if I were up yet. I am particularly grateful for the shower seat that Deb gave me. Mom can at least sit while I bathe her—a blessing indeed. She looks better and smells better. She is slowly feeling better, all but for her right leg. Mom appears to be in great pain when she walks. Hairline fracture?

Thursday, March 19: Appointment with mom’s GP. The PA declares her fit and fine and just “having trouble with arthritis.” Meanwhile, mom moans and groans while we practically carry her to the kitchen, the bathroom, and back to her room. She cannot maneuver her leg onto the bed without help.

Monday, March 23: I have a script for an x-ray of mom’s hip. I am betting (hoping) now, however, that she has pulled something. Mom is fine and in no pain while she is sitting and even crosses her leg (left over right). The pain is not subsiding and mom cries when she walks. Unfortunately, the halls of this house are far too narrow to accommodate a wheelchair, but we can try a walker with a seat. I will pick one up this afternoon, if I can get a script.