Thursday, January 26, 2012

The week of unexpected

2:18 Sunday morning, the phone rang. I knew immediately it was my mom. She says I didn't even say hello, I picked up the phone and said, "Mom, I am on my way".  She had been having problems with pain. Her neck and most of her body had been hurting for a few weeks. On Saturday after Andrew and I returned from Louisville, I took her to Effingham to look for some bigger shoes because her feet were hurting and swollen so bad she couldn't wear what she had. The pain had escalated last week. On Thursday evening, it went to her head and she just about called me, then it went away, all of it, completely and she was fine. I truly thought it was too good to be true and it was. It came back with a vengeance on Sunday morning.

We made it to the hospital around 3:30, we could have gotten there sooner but she needed me to drive slow as every bump we hit was excruciating. We were in the ER until 8:00 when they decided to admit her because her White Blood Cell Count was very high. The ER docs were stumped as to what was causing the pain.

Her regular doctor was in her room by 8:30. When she started explaining what was going on, he started shaking his head yes, and said he knew exactly what the problem was. He would almost bet money that one inflammation test would come back extremely elevated. If it did, it would prove him right, she had PMR. Polymyalgia Rheumatica. I was stunned he was so quick to diagnose but after googling it, I totally agreed. It was even a textbook case of it. High doses of steroids would relieve the pain. Unfortunately, Mom has been a Type 1, insulin-dependent diabetic most of her life. Steroids and a pancreas that does not work at all do not mix well. She would have to be in the hospital to have the steroids. Tuesday morning, she was feeling much, much better and was released to come home. Not before Dr. Houston informed her that she also had a lot of arthritis in her neck, something she is probably going to have to learn to live with.

Wednesday, we started our first normal day of the week--yeah for normal!
She is still having some pain in her neck but she says as long as she stays busy, she doesn't notice it. My mom doesn't spend much time NOT being busy, so I guess that is a good thing.

I got started back to work yesterday. Making plans to go to New Orleans in June for the National Energy Assistance Directors Conference. One of my favorites. I always come back so full of new ideas to help fight poverty. Looking forward to this one already. Also starting to work on the next set of Computer classes. I don't know if we will actually have a class but I want to be prepared if we do. So, switching gears but still busy.

I have a couple more posts for the blog, probably get them in on Saturday, another recipe to share and another book to read. Thank the Lord for my nook, I read almost an entire book while Mom was resting Monday. Love the fact that if I get done with one, all I have to do is download another one and I am good to go.

So, not many projects done this week, but getting Mom back to better was a good one. Andrew and I are starting to make plans to refinish the wood floors. I am looking at that to be a March thing. We have a spot right at the front door that was damaged years ago by ants. We are looking at laying a tile entry way. If we do, we will need to change out the tile in front of the fireplace as well but I think that would be great. I would love marble tile and in that small of a space, it would be affordable but I am afraid it would be too much for the house so we shall see.

Craft room should be ready for pictures by this Saturday---yea!

Happy Thursday!

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