A Few Challenging Days

I am a few days behind on updates. Seems as though good things don't typically last these days. We were so excited to have Mom in her acute rehab, and for as tired as it was making her we know she was excited to have the opportunity for such intense therapies. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday morning, we received a phone call telling us that Mom was being transported back to Yale via ambulance. On one hand, we were glad to have chosen a rehab center so close to Yale in case this happened, but we are SO tired of all these bumps in the road leading us back to the New Haven. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mom was being transported because the rehab center did not feel secure enough to perform a paracenthesis (a procedure Mom has had many times, in which the doctors drain several liters of fluid from her abdomen to relieve pressure). They did not have the means to stop bleeding or fluid oozing if either continued after the procedure. Her blood levels were off for several factors, and would best benefit from more intense monitoring that the hospital is better equipped for. Bloodwork Tuesday morning revealed more potential kidney problems, but bloodwork Tuesday night did not show any problems (again with the kidneys playing games). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It seems as though every step forward means a step or even two back. There's some irony to the latest conclusion: Mom is too weak for the intensive therapy meant to strengthen her. Mom wants to be back in Milford for her acute rehab, so she can get stronger--strong enough for the surgery, and strong enough to be more like a "normal person." I saw her in her last bout of physical therapy in Milford. She made it a few steps, but could not find enough strength to walk the way she did her first day, and she couldn't stand up even with help from her physical therapist. She begged her doctors to send her back to Milford following this hospital stay, but she needs to acquire more basic strength before she will be able to be successful in an acute rehabilitation center. As of now, it is our hope that there will be room in a qualified short-term rehab center some time today (Mom's last short-term rehab center was far from qualified. We are determined not to let that happen again). We worry that standard nursing homes will struggle to meet her needs, but we must also be her advocates if we feel that her needs are not being met.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Of course, the last couple days have brought other stress. Those of you who have followed each post saw my Mom on tape, heard her say how scared she is. We're all scared. We try to put on our tough faces and say it's going to be okay, but there's no way not to be fearful. Finances are running low. Tensions and uncertainties are running high. We have been told by Mom's medical team that the chances of finding a deceased donor that is a match on time to save Mom's life is highly unlikely in this donor region compared to others. We don't know what to do or where to go from here. Prayers and thoughts off strength are, as always, highly appreciated. Thank you all.