Whatever

2008-05-08T18:37:13Z

Mom, while waiting for the Real Doctor: "I sure am glad they didn't take a liver biopsy."

Me: "Um, yeah, me too."

Now, she'd just had a CAT scan with contrast, which is ickier even than the usual barium drinking, becuase the contrast dye is damaging to your kidneys. So after the barium, you have to ALSO drink other stuff that's especially vile and sit there yet another hour. And she complains about all that, which, yeah, it must be pretty aggravating and miserable. I get that.

So to hear her say she was glad she hadn't had the biopsy (she had the scan, originally, instead) was kind of a surprise.

"Dr. Gruenmann wanted to take a biopsy, you know."

Yeah, I know. He was the very first doctor she saw, the one who told her she had colon cancer, the one who referred her to the University. The one who never did anything medical-wise for or to her . . . last October.

The Love Bunny said, "It's like getting an answer to a question you asked in a conversation six months ago."

I really had no idea how all this was processing in mom's mind. I guess I have a pretty good idea now.

Lights, No Camera

My north-facing bedroom has WAY too much light in the morning. We bought a new, presumably heavier and better roller-shade the other day. Neither of us ever stopped and thought -- you can't buy a shade that fits the full inside width of the window! There's hardware screwed to the inside of the window frame to hold the shade in place!

I've been waking up at 5:30. Cats, call of nature or whatever, once I'm awake I can't get back to sleep. I need to be up in an hour and a half and there's morning light searing my retinas.

There are lots of ways to solve this, but none of them IMMEDIATE.

Last night, in desperation, I pulled some cardboard boxes out of the recycling. I cut the longest pieces I could and duct taped them together in a U shape (only with square corners). Then I stood the thing up inside the window frame, between the glass and the roller shade. The Love Bunny taped it in with gaffer's tape.

It'll just have to stay there until I figure out what expensive, time consuming and work-intensive thing needs to be done instead. Because nothing says class like a window full of cardboard and duct tape.

Suggestions welcome.

Mother Goose Has Flown The Coop

2008-03-21T16:46:21Z

My mom left for two weeks at her own house, driving her new car across Wisconsin to get there.

Yes, that's how much better she is now! Between the chemo and a good rheumatologist, her RA has been subdued. They have her on a once every four weeks, low dose chemo schedule so she has time to recuperate from it. In fact, she drove herself to the mall the day after her last chemo. She says she feels as good as she ever did!

This is great!

Of course, it makes for a bored mom around the house, who wants to Do Stuff! on my days off. I'm finally not still wheezing after lo these many weeks of what kudra_1234 suggested was bronchitis, and I haven't wanted to Do Stuff.

So instead, she hangs over my shoulder while I'm doing whatever I need get done, telling me exactly how I should be doing it. Because, you know, a 48 year old child, married seventeen years, is still just that: a child. And needs lengthy and detailed instruction on how to pack a box of goodies, do laundry, bake a pan of brownies . . . I have no doubt that if I were writing a story, she'd not only be reading over my shoulder but saying, "Severus Snape would never do that."

But I don't have enough mental space to write while she's here, anyway. I feel uncomfortable even reading fanfic.

I've come to realize she'll never even consider moving to assisted living here in the Twin Cities. If I tell her straight out that she can't live here any more (and that's what it would take; she's not going to decide she wants out by herself), she'll move back to her house, and she'll have absolutely no intention of hiring her friend to help her. Because that's not the way it ought to work. You don't pay someone to help you; your family is supposed to do that. I can't even remotely imagine my brother doing it.

I kind of regret that my wonderful, loving, generous husband told her she could stay here as long as she wants.

im_kalena

Whatever

Mother Goose Has Flown The Coop