Monday, November 9, 2009

People Please, One at a Time

There should be a red carpet outside my mother's room. She needs a social secretary. This is insanity. The woman is practically booked through Thanksgiving.

Mom has been at McLean for just 10 days now, and although it has not been without a hiccup here and there, her strength improves daily, her appetite is intimidating, and she is even conducting and business meetings! The woman is out of control.

It has taken a while to adjust to her new surroundings, especially learning the system, but the staff is very eager to get to know Mom as well and each day is an improvement.

The greatest of all, is perhaps, the bedpan situation. If this is TMI (too much information), you're reading the wrong blog. Since Mom's last hospitalization, the ordeal of getting to and from the commode can be a painful hassle, so it has been bedpan city. Go ahead and grab plastic mixing bowl and sit on it for 5 minutes 5 times a day and see how good your butt feels. Exactly.

Mom's good friend Tom V. got wind of this situation and showed up the next day with a variety of bedpans from which to choose. She went with a lovely wide-brimmed model. It never ceases to amaze us to what lengths friends and family will go to in order to make Mom's life just a little bit better.

As for the traffic, Mom has taken control by scheduling one social visit a day. So if you have emailed or called and not heard back, fret not, you will. One a day seems to be the magic number, because it allows to enjoy her time with people but not spread herself too thin. Believe it or not, I even had to pencil myself in on Sunday. True story.






4 comments:

H.F. said...

Well, the bedpan story is oh so fun but I think I'll stick to cupcakes or something equally delish because I'm in the queue to visit on my birthday!

Liz, would you like a delivered Toshi lunch? Can you have that? Any special requests? I'll sneak you whatever you want :)

Joy Banach said...

Yeah, I second the prior comment; you take it easy -- I live in the hood so I can wait until my number is called.

I too am willing to sneak you in anything so long as it is not booze. I got my limits. Love, Joy

Tom Smith said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tom Smith said...

Geesh, I'd better get my reservations in soon then. Liz I know your reading this this, so please sign me up for what ever day you have open, miss and love you.. you busy busy lady.