Home

 Today my mom comes home from rehab. She has been in a hospital for 12 days now and everybody, especially her dog, are eager for her to come home. Initially the rehab team wanted to keep her until Sunday but they were persuaded to discharge her early. I'm concerned that she is not entirely ready but I also recognize that you can't force her to do anything she doesn't want to do. 

I just hope that she is ready because, given her current pain levels and mobility issues, I am concerned. She continues to struggle with intense pain which has impacted her ability to fully participate in her therapy. Movement is still both difficult and painful. I suppose I worry that she is coming home because she insisted and not because she is truly ready. 

Regardless of her readiness, she is coming home. I spent last night cleaning up her bedroom and packing my things. With my Mom coming home today and my niece returning from college, Timmy and I are losing our room. I feel guilty leaving as she is just coming home, but Robby has prom this weekend and I am on the decorating committee.  Thankfully my mom will have a full house with a lot of help over the weekend.

Improving

 Mom continues to improve everyday. Her progress is incremental and not quickly enough for her, but considering the significance of her surgery she is doing amazingly well. Her therapy sessions leave her both exhausted and sore. I know she is homesick and becoming depressed from the pain. Hopefully she will continue to improve and life (with a new knee) will resume with normalcy soon.

In the meantime, Timmy continues to plug away at school. I know that it is hard for him to be out of his routine and away from his home. He is a trooper and I'm proud of him. Hopefully my Mom will continue to improve and we will have a plan for discharge within a week.

Uninterrupted

 My mom is now exactly one week post-op. The recovery has been both slow and painful. Up until yesterday her progress has been incremental and gauged in pain numbers. Yesterday morning they had her up and walking in PT and I was encouraged by her progress. Although her steps are deliberate, she is moving better than she was before the surgery. 

While she was working hard in rehab and Timmy was giggling with his friends at school I was able to curl onto the couch with Friend to work uninterrupted. I am fortunate enough to enjoy flexibility with my schedule. I am lucky to be able to work from anywhere and I do not take this luxury for granted. 

I've been at my Mom's house for a week and it looks like I will be here for at least another few days. I don't want to leave until she is home from rehab and I know that she will be okay by herself. I know that Timmy is starting to get a little homesick but he is being a trooper. The fact that his cousins are here definitely helps!

As Timmy says, today will probably be the same as yesterday but with different food. Hopefully Mom will continue to make progress. It will be nice to have her home.

Rehab

Once the surgeon informed us that my mom underwent a complete knee replacement I knew that my plans were going to be thrown out the window. Thankfully I'm in a position where pivoting is relatively easy. Yesterday I met Scott halfway so that he could bring me some more clothes and he could take Robby home. Timmy and I are going to stay in Pennsylvania until my Mom is home from rehab and settled into a routine. 

My Mom was finally transferred to a rehab hospital on Friday evening. I would be lying if I said she was happy about her current situation. She wants to be home and she wants life to return to normal. Unfortunately her leg has a new knee implanted and she needs to get stronger and learn how to use it. Today she will begin physical and occupational therapy. I'm hoping that her previous experience as a knee replacement user will work to her advantage.

While she was battling the pain and her circumstances, I spent the days trying to work and keep the kids occupied. With the school week resuming, that task should be a little easier today. With his Nana away and everybody upset, Timmy has been off his game. The 'normalcy' of his school day should help to ease his frazzled nerves. 

The weekend of constant rain certainly did no favors in terms of my entertaining the kids. I'm so glad to see the sunshine this morning. Hopefully that is a sign that everything will start to brighten and turn around!

Update

Yesterday was rough. It is so hard watching somebody you love struggle with pain. Helpless because I couldn't provide relief, I sat with my mom and waited for the Pain Team to work some magic. By the time I left her pain intensity was waning and she was exhausted. 

This morning I'm heading back to the hospital. It has been decided that she will stay in-patient until her pain is manageable. I am grateful that she won't be forced to move when she is already in agony. Once her pain wanes she will transfer to a rehab facility for a few days. 

New Knee

 My mother is an overachiever.

Nearly a decade ago she underwent a double knee replacement. Apparently the experience left such an impression that she decided it was worthy of a repeat. Before the procedure, the surgeon was transparent about her uncertain plan. She laid out the scenarios but was not able to declare one path as obvious. As the hours ticked by with her in the operating room, my sister and I both knew that the easiest of those paths were dissolving. 

My mom was in the operating room for more than four hours. By the time we met for our post-surgery conference, we anticipated the surgeon's words. Although she tried to fix the implant, it was eroded and beyond repair. She ended up removing the initial implant and replacing the entire device. My heart dropped with the news. I was hoping for an easier recovery, but it seems like that was not in the cards.

We were able to see her after she was settled into her room. She was exhausted and in a lot of pain. I am going to head over in a few hours to visit but I am not expecting her to be animated. After a four hour surgery and a new knee, it is going to take awhile before she feels like herself again.

Martian Land

Timmy had a great birthday. He was showered with love throughout his school day, making him feel special and appreciated by his friends and classmates. In the evening we went for Hibachi and enjoyed ice cream cake. His presents, primarily space themed this year, were a huge hit. He is especially delighted with the 100 acres of martian land that Rob bought for him. He is quick to tell anybody who will listen that he is a martian land owner.  

While we had a great time celebrating Timmy, today my focus is shifting to my mom. She is having surgery in a few hours. My sister will be taking her to the hospital and I'll be driving to PA after Timmy is done with his morning classes. We are planning on staying with her for about a week with the flexibility of changing if necessary. 

I feel a great deal of anxiety as I am watching the clock tick down to her surgery. I recognize that a knee is not a life-threatening procedure but I worry anytime anesthesia is involved. Please send her some good thoughts or prayers if you are so inclined.  I'll post updates after the surgery.