Good morning, friends:

Since my last update, Mom's medical roller coaster has continued with its' fast turns, highs, and lows. 

Mom's g-tube procedure went well with no complications a couple of weeks ago.  Some adjustments had to be made to her tube-feeding formulas so her GI system could tolerate them more effectively.  She continued to have fluctuations in her supplemental oxygen needs as well, so she remained at McLeod for another 8 days.  She was slowly but surely making some physical progress as well, being able to tolerate sitting up in the bedside recliner for 2-3 hours at a time to help her feel more awake/alert.  Mom was frustrated that she was in the hospital so long, so thankfully, the doctors felt she was stable enough to discharge her back to The Manor (her "home" away from 420 Rosewood Drive) last Wednesday, May 1st.

The staff at the Manor enthusiastically welcomed her back to her room with hugs, smiles, and all sorts of good vibes, which I feel certain helped Mom's spirits to be back in her comfortable, familiar surroundings.  Her PT came to see her on Thursday and got her sitting on the side of the bed with significant assistance, but hey, she was still trying, so that's all we could ask for.  

Just as soon as she was settling back in at The Manor, she unfortunately suffered another significant setback on Thursday night.  Following her evening bolus tube feeding at 6 pm,  Mom had an episode of vomiting with some aspiration of the emesis into her lungs.  She began having respiratory distress, so she was taken to the ER at McLeod Health late Thursday night.  They were able to remove some of the material she had aspirated into the lungs and stabilize her.   Mom was admitted to the ICU step-down unit for close monitoring, another round of antibiotics began, and her supplemental oxygen needs were elevated.  We spent the weekend with her in her room, though she was sleeping a lot, and even when she was awake, she preferred to keep her eyes closed most of the time.  

Mom has been through the wringer, and she is showing that she is increasingly frustrated with all of it.  The sweet lady has been fighting like hell for the last 3 years to be as independent as she can, and her current situation is not one she is pleased with, to put it mildly.  I don't blame her.  

Let's not forget about Dad here, either.  He, too, has been through all of it, and it is making him weary. Heck, we all are!   But it does not keep him from showing up, every single morning with a smile on his face, a kiss for her as soon as he enters her room, and holding her hand while he sits with her at her bedside, continuing to encourage and support her as best as he can. 

We were trying to have a light conversation with her on Sunday afternoon when she was feeling low, and Dad and I started discussing nicknames in our family.  He asked Mom what her nicknames for him were, and she whispered Carroll, Jr.  He said, do you have any others?  She said "sweetheart".  Who started calling you Nellie Bell??  I said, the one and only Tuta Nettles gave me that one, which brought a half-smile from Mom.

So, here we are today, hoping that she can return to the Manor soon so she can get some good rest and be with the caregivers she knows and loves out there.  The prayers and thoughts continue to be needed and are so appreciated by all of us.

From Team Nancy, we are so thankful for all of you.

Carroll, Keith & Nell