At the Hospital

My mother is still in the hospital suffering from unexplained stomach pains and getting pain relief for her back. While the doctors ran tests and considered various possibilities for her stomach pain, Jean and I came up with our own diagnosis: gall bladder. As if on cue, Ben's mother had emergency gall bladder removal yesterday! To say the least, it's been a stressful week, but there have been some silver linings.

My admiration for my Mom's brave and faith-filled spirit has increased as I've watched her face these trials with her great traits of realism, concern for others, and humor. When Jean and I told her that next step once she gets out of the hospital would be a nursing home for rehab, we held our breath and hoped she wouldn't fall apart. Instead, she lay quietly for a while and then said "If I'm going to a nursing home, I'll need some new clothes," which made us laugh with relief. Often when I think Mom has fallen asleep, she'll open her eyes and suddenly say something like "Show me Norah's picture again" or "Is Paul doing his homework okay without you there?"

I've also appreciate the closeness I've shared with my sister, Jean, as we marshaled our efforts to stay with Mom as much as possible so we could give her reassurance in her pain and be both her "ears" and her advocate in dealing with the doctors and other hospital staff. I've felt supported by the concern and love of both my large and far-flung extended family and from Ben and Paul. It's not every family that can pull together in times like these, and I'm so grateful that mine can and does.