A long day

Five am came early this morning--especially since I didn't really get to sleep till somewhere around midnight after I took some Nyquil-type stuff for my cold. Then I think it had the opposite effect and acted more as a stimulant than a drowsy-like medicine. Anyway, I got up, stumbled out the door with Raven, and dragged along on our walk. When I got home Christina was already up and in the shower, Tim was ready for me to make his lunch, and Mark hopped in the shower right after Christina got out. Good thing Christina doesn't like my new hair dryer--ha!--or so she had said. I had to wrangle it away from her so I could dry my head in time to get out the door to my first day back at work after our holiday break.

We had a good staff meeting at the office this morning and I've got plenty to keep me busy now--which is good, because December was sort of slow. Then around lunch time my cell phone rang. It was my Dad.

"Mom's in the hospital," he said. Just then the extension on my office phone was buzzing, so I had to put my dad off for a minute only to find it wasn't for me and I had to look for the correct extension number to give the caller.

Apparently my mom's lost almost 20 pounds off her 5'2" frame recently, and when Dad had mentioned it, I guess I could not recall her sitting down to eat a meal with us when we were visiting over Christmas. She was busy fussing over everyone else, and always making sure my dad was eating at the right times so his blood sugar didn't sink through the floor, causing a scary reaction complete with sweating, dizziness and confusion for Dad.

But now it's Dad's turn to be the care-giver. Don't get me wrong, he is a great care giver and a wonderful domestic helper as well as provider and fixer-upper. He and Mom make a great team. But I guess I've always pictured my mom as the healthy one, the one who would make sure Dad was fine and of course she always took care of us kids. When I went away to college and was sick for the first time, I sure missed my Mom's cool touch, reassuring words and pampering. She knew just what to give me to eat or drink and how to make me comfortable on the couch or in bed. Even after I was married, she nursed me back on my feet when I had two C-sections after our boys were born.

My brother Roger is staying with Dad for tonight at least, which is a great comfort. I hate being so far from them. Mom is having lots of blood transfused--I think 4 units, so she'll be in for a couple of days. Her chest x-ray was clear, but tomorrow they will give her an upper and lower GI. Not exactly a picnic.

I talked to her late this afternoon, and she sounded good--in fact, even better than she had at Christmas. The new blood must be doing the trick. So now it's time for others to care for Carole, to mother the mom, to gladden the grandmother. (well, I couldn't think of one for grandmother--got something better?)

I'm grateful for friends and family who can be there or if they can't, who can pray. Right now that's what I'm doing, and I am thankful for all the times my mom has cared and prayed for me. I guess it's all right that we take that turn now.

Till next time,


Suzi