Not Picking Up Any Pantless Hitchhikers

Long weekend, long week ahead as I wrap up one semester and start another with a 24 hour turnaround.

Hard weekend all around. Below is part of a text I sent to Bill sometime during the 15 hours I was at the hospital on Sat.

Very confused and agitated, sobbing, trying to rip off restraints

The only time I saw Brian was Sat morning for breakfast as he was coming off his overnight shift. We talked over the options about moving my mom out of the hospital and into a long term acute care facility.

Long term would likely mean 6-8 weeks at minimum and would bridge full on hospital care and a likely nursing home placement later. Bottom line is that the infection is still in the hip and port. Her Drs are not sure that they are or can ever rid either site so we are looking at long term iv antibiotics. The good news is that the infection is not getting worse nor did it spread to other locations.

The move would allow them to continue the iv drugs as well as some other treatments that can be carried outside of a hospital. She is able to do dialysis within the location without a move via ambulance three times a week to her clinic. At this point they are taking a 2 week break from more surgeries as tissues need time to heal. Almost all of her doctors are absolutely baffled how she rallied from how sick she was when she went in 5 weeks ago.

So where are we? A holding pattern, a new place to spend her days, the long haul of repeated weekend travel to SC.

I'm tired. Really tired. I was already slammed with end of semester work before loosing 48 hours of the weekend. This trip was really hard without elaboration. Even with the typical nuttiness of the weekend I missed all the boys, the little ones and the big one.

It hit me as I was returning alone for a 2nd night after midnight that I'm juggling two families with the same obligations. Both need me, both require an immense amount of time and attention. By the end of the Sunday, I had fed, bathed, and cut the toenails on both parties.

I know my brother appreciated not having to pull hospital time on top of work. My rationale for why I went and will be back. For some crazy reason I snapped a couple of quick phone pic before leaving. Every time I'm leaving, I remind my mom I won't pick up any pantless hitchhikers. Don't ask, she made the comment when they were leaving me at college. Somehow the comment stuck and superstitiously has to be uttered by someone before leaving.

I said it Sunday to her confused face, kissed her goodbye, and got back on the road. Luckily I got home in time to make a sit down dinner, read books, and tuck both boys into bed.

Perfect ending to a hard weekend.