Later that evening my dad called me back and told me that my mom had been admitted to the hospital on Monday. (And they didn't call me!) And my mom hadn't wanted me to worry, so they didn't let me know. She was having an issue that the doctor had said, "if this happens again, go to the hospital so they can see exactly what is going on." So she did.
When I talked to her the next day, she said they had done a bunch of tests and they were waiting for results. I asked if I should come down, and she told me, "no, no, everything is fine."
When I called two days later, she was in ICU, but told me they were waiting for test results. I asked again, should I come down? She said she would be going home on Sunday, or maybe Monday, and that no, they were fine. I knew they don't just keep you in ICU to wait for results, and it should have been my first clue that things were maybe not going as well as it was being made out to be. I mean it did ring in my head, but then I didn't want to make her mad by showing up when she said don't come.
On Sunday or Monday, I talked with my dad, and he said she was out of ICU, and should be going home any day now.
On Wednesday, I had a really nice talk with my mom but she was still in the hospital. She sounded a little out of breath, but we talked about the cousins, and I told her the latest news on each of the boys, and told her how the Van Rats were doing. She said she was doing well, and the nurses were nice.
I called on Friday to the hospital and she didn't answer in her room. I figured she was in the bathroom, or doing physical therapy walking down the hallway. The days are mixed up now, but I know I called several times, and couldn't get her. I had some questions for her because it was near the anniversary of my dad's passing, July 28/29th, and I wanted to know what she thought about something that had been on my mind. I finally left a message on the home phone.
On Sunday evening my dad called me back. He said I need to come down, she wasn't responding. I asked what that meant, and he said she couldn't talk and was now just barely opening her eyes.
What!?
I called the boys and told them my plans to head south, and for them to pray. It wasn't sounding good, so I tried to prepare each of them... this would be the first loss of a family member that they could recall.
I got my stuff together, said goodbye to P. and R. and left a little after 10pm. I lost one of the cats out the van door, is why it was later than I hoped. But I knew I couldn't just sleep on it and leave in the morning. I knew I had to start moving in that direction.
I drove through Idaho to Montana, south through Idaho again, through all of Utah, and into Arizona. I tried to plan it so I was crossing Utah in the cool of the night. I slept when I was just too tired, but not for very long. I traveled 1300 miles in just 36 hours. I spent most of those hours talking to God, and kinda talking to my mom, and remembering good memories.
I got to my parent's house at about 10:30am on Tuesday morning. I got the cat box and the cats into the laundry room because it was already getting way hot in the van, took a quick shower, and we went to the hospital.
It was July 30th.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment