Trying Times

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“These are the times that try men’s souls…” Who wrote that? I’m too tired to Google this evening, and these have been very trying times.
On Monday, Elegante Mother had a seizure. She made a flying trip to the hospital with hunky paramedics, and spent the day in the ER. Most of her time there was spent waiting for a room assignment. She had a CT scan, and was admitted.
Tuesday morning they did an MRI, and are fairly confident that she is suffering from herpes encephalitis. Most likely this is an offshoot from the shingles attack she had two years ago. It’s possible that it has been building over the past six months, as we’ve watched her language processing deteriorate.
EM had a second CT scan last night, and this morning they had fairly good news for us. No other problems showed up on the second scan. The docs are going to treat her with an antiviral, an antibacterial, and something to prevent more seizures. We hope that she will recover, but we have no way of telling if she will make it all the way back to the person we think of as EM.
Mother is recuperating very slowly, but that’s to be expected, since she is 91. Each time I see her, she is doing better with cognition and language. She knows that I am her daughter, but she couldn’t remember my name. She recognized Dear Husband, when he visited today. She was thoroughly ticked at me when I left this evening, because I wasn’t letting her go home!
EM will be in the hospital until Friday, or possibly Saturday morning. Then, she will be moved to a nursing home for ten days, because she will be on an IV drip for her medicines. At that point, we will assess whether she is able to come home (with assistance), or needs to remain in nursing care for a while longer.
My family has been very supportive. I would be lost without My-Sister-The-Nurse, who, thankfully, has the power of attorney for my mother’s health care. EM has had three generations of family visiting, and each day she remembers more and converses longer.
I hope…..and pray…..that she will be able to return home soon. We’ve been lucky so far. I hope she has more luck left.

6 thoughts on “Trying Times”

  1. I am so sorry to hear this. I hate this kind of situation – there is absolutely nothing you can do but wait and hope, is there?
    Do hope that things go on well for her, and for you all.

  2. I didn’t know the quotation – Google says, “This simple quotation from Founding Father Thomas Paine’s The Crisis not only describes the beginnings of the American Revolution, but also the life of Paine himself.”

  3. In these difficult times, with so many choices to be made, it would be easy to be inattentive to your own needs. (You know that!) Please take good care of yourself, Buffy. As to your EM, we can only pull for her full recovery. Viruses are scary things. EM deserves better than to be picked on by them!

  4. BW, most of what we do is wait, but I’m hoping that our coaching and interaction will help her to regain her memory. Unfortunately, we will have to wait to see how much damage the virus may have done.
    Thank you for researching the quote from Paine. The answer was in the back of my mind. I knew it was early American history, but I was just too tired to place it.

  5. CC…I fell into the trap of burning the candle at both ends, but I PROMISE I will go to bed early tonight. I might even cat nap this afternoon if EM is snoozing. I know you are right about the need for me to stay healthy.
    We hope for the best concerning the virus that EM is battling.

  6. Well we know you will put whatever needs to be put on the back burner for the sake of EM’s needs…and we know that includes a lot of what you may need to get done Buffy. I’m so sorry this has happened sweetie….for all of you. I hope EM recuperates well and I hope it’s not too much of a strain on all of you….especially YOU. But honestly…I don’t know how it can’t be…..I remember well the effects this kind of thing has on a family when my mother was going similar things. And the brunt of it will of course fall on you sweetie. There’s no way around it.
    I’m sending you much love and hope that EM will get through this virus quickly and with a good outcome. Get your rest, eat well…and take your vitamins young lady…… ~Love, Joy

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