More on Mom

Saturady morning - the alarm was set for 6.20 am as we wanted to get an early start for our trip to Clarens, but wanted to pop in to see Mom on the way as she has not been well, as per one of my previous posts. Alarm goes off - I kill it - the phone starts to ring!
I answer, not recognising the cell number on the display. A man, calling me by name introduces himself. He says he's Mom's neighbour. I go ice cold. He says he does not want to alarm me, but Friday night he had rushed Mom to hospital! At this point I'm still half asleep, but fast taking in all the details as hes recounting them to me. I thank him, and hang up. I'm stunned!
It seems Mom, who has been getting dizzy spells since taking ill had stood up, probably to change a setting on the TV, or move from the chair to the couch, I'm not sure. Anyway she fell, and banged her head, just above the right ear, on the brick edge of the fireplace! There was blood evrywhere!!!
She called the neighbour across the road for some assistance. They were brilliant! The guy brought some bandages and stuff, wrapped Mom up, and rushed her the 25kn to the hospital.
There she was admitted, x-rayed, stitched up, put on a drip and kept overnight to check for concussion. he didn't want to call me up then, as he knew from Mom that we were on a long trip the next morning. He also knew we were to stop in at her home, so figured he would call in the morning before we left, so as to ensure we wouldn't arrive at Mom's door and not find her there.
We drove through to the hospital. I wasn't sure if we would still be going on out trip or not, and decided to leave the decision till we had seen Mom. On the way I called my brother to update him. We agreed that maybe we should try and convince her to go and stay with him at the coast as it is warmer, and she would be looked after 24/7 as my sister in law does not work so would be there all the time. Or, he would come up with his wife and stay with her for 2 weeks to help her.
She didn't look well. Her hair was still all matted with blood. She seemed to have aged 10 years. But, her spirit was up. She said she wasn't in any pain.

She wouldn't be coming out that day, and probably would only be released on Sunday, maybe Monday. She was in good hands. I had a look at the cut, and damn it was a serious one. But, like she said, she felt ok. I told her of the options for care, and at first she didn't seem keen. But after some discussing she agreed, that if Princess would accompany her on the flight down, she would go and stay with him. I said it would be for a month or so, and she seemed to be content with that.

I called the nurse for her as she wanted to go to the loo, and so we said our goodbye's and left. She was tired, and breakfast was soon to be served, with the change of staff coming etc. We didn't want to be in the way. Outside we decided she was well enough for us to still go on our trip.

On the way I called my brother and gave him another update. He said to let him know if she seemed to worsen. Then Princess called my sister. Princess spoke to her, as I haven't been on speaking terms with her for some time, and didn't care to start now, even under this circumstance. Then we drove to Mom's best friends hose, a Nun who lives near her to tell her. But my sister had already called.

We then set off foe Clarens, and on the way, to pass through Bethlehem, a town I had in July '79 sworn never to return to!

By 9.30 am my brother called to say he had spoken to Mom. He said he didn't like the way she sounded, slurring and all. (This was the medication, but anyway..) and he'd managed to get on a flight leaving for Johannesburg at 10.30am! he was coming up to see Mom.
The Nun called at about 10.45 to say she had been to see Mom, and she seemed to be ok. Later my brother called to say he'd arrived and was driving a rental to the hospital.
Mom was surprised to see him, and said he shouldn't have bothered, as she wasn't dying! His response was that when he had called earlier she had agreed to go home with him, so he was there to fetch her. She couldn't even remember the call, or having spoken to him. But agreed that by Thursday, seeing as the doctor said it was ok for her to fly, they could go down!!

My sister arrived at the hospital, and as his relationship with her is similar to mine, he took advantage of the opportunity and left to go to Mom's house to get her some more pyjamas, her toothbrush and some other stuff.

Later my sister called to give us an update. She called the Princess on her cell, obviously not wanting to take the chance of getting me on mine!!!
Mom seemed to be improving all the time.

By Saturday evening when my brother called to say he had got the keys to our home, and was now on his way there to have a shower and make an early night of it, he said she was much improved. The doctor had said he would release her the next day. He was tired as sin. Mom was going to brush her teeth and then go to the loo, and then get some sleep. All well, by the sound of it.

We left first thing in the morning, stopping for breakfast and refuel. 2 hours 45 minutes later we were home. On the way my brother had called to say Mom was going to stay in hospital for another day, so we didn't go past her home. At home we visited a bit with my brother, then went through to see Mom. She's really taking strain with the nausea, and hasn't eaten yet. Not good.

Later, we go back and visit for a short while. Still not eating. Still nauseous. I'm not happy with the situation, but think that it's better she stay in hospital overnight. Hopefully by Monday morning there will be an improvement.

Monday, 18th, I'm in a 8.30 meeting. My brother called to say that Mom had a good night, but threw up again this am.... The doctor has decided she might be allergic to the penicillin they have been giving her via the dip! So he's taking here off that, and keeping her overnight again, to see if that helps.

I'm really needing the assistance of angels, and any other Catholic saints (Mom's Catholic) to intervene right now.

As for our trip to Clarens - via Bethlehem, well, that's for another post...

Salagatle!