Rough night but OK

I received a call from my sister this morning - she beat me to the punch and had called the hospital to check in on Mom. They told her all was well, and that she had completed her first round of physical therapy.

I spent the rest of the day happy for her and relieved. I ran into a few friends of hers and relayed the good news.

After a day of running the kids to school, haircuts, doctors, etc I went up to the hospital to visit. When I arrived, Mom looked good.

I asked her how she was - she then told me that she had a really rough night. Her blood pressure fell dangerously low, and she couldn't stop shivering. They took her of all pain meds. As a result, her blood pressure normalized, however, she was in some serious pain.

I wonder what the nurse was thinking when she spoke with my sister earlier in the morning. My sister had not checked in the rest of the day and was under the same assumptions that I was - that Mom was doing great.

Mom has changed her tune considerably regarding what she wants to do. When initially discussing her after-surgery care, Mom indicated that she wanted the hospital stay and then a rehab facility. Well, when she realized that the cable broadcasting didn't include Fox News or HGTV, she quickly decided she wants to go home. What kind of place that services old people in upstate New York doesn't have Fox News? And there is no VCR either or video hookups on the TV - so I cannot videotape her shows and bring them up. When you are stuck in bed all day for several days on end, you need TV that you like.

They had her out of bed twice today, tomorrow a little more. She is back on some medication for pain, but I have no idea what it was. The nurse didn't stop in while I was there - my reputation must proceed me.

Here's hoping that tomorrow might be a better day for her.