First off, I'd like to say a big thankyou to all of you who've kept us in your thoughs and prayers. It's made a big difference. Keep 'em coming, if you can; we still need the help.
Gram was admitted last Friday with a small host of problems, some of which were traceable to an aortic dissection. Fortunately, the doctors say that it's only bleeding into the lining of her aorta and not into her chest, and it can be treated medicinally rather than surgically. Unfortunately, getting her weaned off the IV drugs and onto the same drugs administered orally is a long painful process full of pokes, prods, tests, drug balancing, disorientation, and not a whole lot of sleep. I won't go into gory details, because some of them are pretty unpleasant and gross, as medical treatments often are, but suffice it to say it hasn't been a very happy stay so far.
It's been a long couple of days; I slept on chairs and floors for three nights so she didn't have to be alone. She's gone through a lot of confusion and disorientation, which is difficult to see because up until Friday she was pretty much entirely independent, taking good care of herself and her dog while my mom's been at work. However, on the phone with Mom today, it sounds like she's improving rapidly, and is much better than on Tuesday night, which was pretty darn rough.
The nurses have been exemplary to a woman, and we've been very blessed for their kind, patient, gentle, tolerant presence. Three or four nurses, whom I won't name here but wish I could, made an incredible difference in getting her through some rough, scary times. Here's three cheers for the nursing staff of St. Joe's. Wish I could say the same about the doctors at this point.
What she has is pretty serious, but not so much that she can't go back to her normal life once she's recovered from her hospital stay. So thanks again for the prayers; we've definitely felt their good vibes. We're not entirely out of the woods yet, so any other good thoughts are much appreciated. And big huge thanks to Virus for taking in a stray when I needed it most. Life is so good, knowing I have such loving, kind friends that I can call on in times like these. Y'all are the best.
More soon.