My intent was to do a little CaringBridge update days ago but I have been so distracted by all the Election 2020 happenings of late. Why some states delayed counting absentee/mail-in ballots is not only exasperating but a stressor on all of our minds and cardiovascular systems too. One thing I know, my mom is very glad she took care of voting (by mail) before all of this happened to her. We confirmed that her ballot was accepted and would be counted while she was still in the hospital. And yay for all of us Minnesotans who cast our ballots in person, early or by mail. We, along with our neighbors in Wisconsin, had the highest voter turnout in the country, just shy of 80%. That's great.

My mom has already been home for almost 2 weeks. As I sit here typing away, the song Tammy is playing on her Easy Listening channel. What a treat. That's how I got my name. The days do seem to run together for all of us but they have been broken up by a few appointments around town and with home care visits here at her house.  She saw her internal medicine doc last Thursday and we visited the Heart Clinic on Monday. First, we met with the device nurse to learn a bit more about her implanted Medtronic monitor that can track rhythm abnormalities for the next 3 years. Then we saw Kate Moody, PA for a hospital follow-up. She's great and spent lots of time with us answering our many questions. My mom won't see an allergist until January to delve into whether anaphylaxis was the cause of her extremely scary cardiac arrest. It is nice to hear from caregivers about the effective CPR my mom received. So refresh yourselves. It really works.

On the home front, my sisters and I have our preferred shifts. It's certainly been a blessing that I'm not working anymore and that Lisa is on a leave from Delta. Kathy is the one with a full schedule between working at Ridges Hospital and her own busy family. And if all this wasn't enough, Kathy and Steve's son Ian had surgery yesterday. That all went well and we're hopeful he'll be back to the Young household tomorrow. For this week, Lisa and I are on alternating shifts. She "glamps" here at night and I show up late morning and stay until it gets dark. My mom is doing quite well but she is still very weak. Home care with PT and OT are focused on helping her build back her strength and making sure she's safe here at home. It's also been really nice to have some unexpected warm and sunny weather this week. On Tuesday, my mom ventured out for a driveway rendezvous  with a few neighbors and yesterday we soaked up some rays on her deck. All things to savor as winter approaches and COVID looms over us. 

And on that note, just a final plea to everyone to do your best to limit the spread of COVID. Our ICUs in the Twin Cities are at 98% capacity right now. Even when my mom needed ICU care on October 17th, it was a challenge for the nursing staff to find a bed for her. We are so grateful M Health Southdale was able to provide the treatment she needed. Wear a mask, keep your distance, stay home if you're sick, and get tested if you have symptoms. Please.