Friday, February 03, 2012

LAND OF THE LIVING

I'm just about back.

My mother was desperately sick. I have seen elderly people more robust than she is die from a GI illness like that. I made a deal with the doctor: Imodium and Phenergan, hospital if any deterioration in next hour or no improvement in two. She did not deteriorate and the puking and the runs stopped but it was 24 hours before she could even sit up in bed unassisted.

By that time it had hit me. And I'll tell you what, I don't know how a 90-yr-old survived.

She slept for two days solid. I would have liked to but I had to take care of her. My husband's nursing capabilities are limited to bringing drinks, and he wanted to keep his distance hoping not to get it. He didn't.

It's been a week now and we're more or less functional again. We get tired easily. A day of a little too much results in a day of feeling like crap. This thing hangs on. The three of us had a cooked dinner at the table this evening for the first time since last Thursday.

It was bad enough for me, and I'm having trouble regaining my normal functionality. I'm glad I'm not 90.

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