A Roller Coaster Weekend... and Then Some.

This past weekend started off great. However, the ending was the complete opposite. Here's a recap of the events:

~ On Friday, the hubby (aka Mr. G) and I made nom banh chok for lunch (something we don't do often because its time consuming). Grandma H even had a good size serving of the delicious Cambodian cuisine, and then everyone went out to dinner to celebrate a late birthday. We had a good time. 

~ On Saturday, M and I went to Chic-Fil-A for our Mother and Daughter Quality Time (which was long overdue). M is such a sweet girl and have been patient with all the changes in our home. I'm glad we were able to spend time together. Later in the day Grandma H and Mr. G came and joined us. Again, all had a good time.

Here's when things went downhill...

~ On Saturday night Grandma H refused to go to sleep. She stayed up all night and talked to herself. She also started calling out her children's names, including the ones that are deceased. The sleep aid pill given to her did not do its magic. 

~ On Sunday Grandma H had breakfast, along with her usual medications. I thought by now she'd be tired and would want to nap before church. Well, I was wrong. She was wide awake and very grumpy. So, I thought taking her to church might make her sleepy because she usually get bored while there anyway. But nap time did not happen.  She was awake the entire time. And grumpy.

During church was when we noticed the swelling in Grandma H's right hand. So, later that day, we decided to take her to the ER to get the swelling checked out.

Here's what was found after an examination of her hand, a head CT scan, a chest x-ray, and an ultrasound on her right leg (because it was also swollen).

~ The right hand had a bacterial infection called cellulitis 

~ The result from the head CT scan turned out to be normal

~ The chest x-ray showed blood clots

~ The ultrasound on the right leg showed blood clots

I was impressed with the bedside manners that the ER staff had showed. While waiting for the doctor, the RNs, and other hospital workers to fulfill their duties and responsibilities for the caring of Grandma H, we watched the NFC championship game on the TV provided by the hospital. We were (and still are) ecstatic that our home team is going to the Super Bowl! Go Hawks!

Sorry, got a little side tracked a minute there. So, back to Grandma H...

Despite the efficiency and efforts of the ER staff in giving Grandma H the care that she needed, it did take about five hours before she was finally admitted and given a room in the upper level in the hospital.

Grandma H did not like her stay at the hospital (which is not a surprise). Each day she expressed the desire to return home. It was tough seeing her in that mental and physical state. By Wednesday afternoon I was both emotionally and physically drained. I ended up napping for two hours. And when I had awakened, Mr. G had dinner ready and M was doing math related stuff on the computer. Words cannot express how grateful I am to have these two individuals in my life. They are awesome! After dinner we went to the hospital to visit Grandma H.

On Thursday we went to pick up Grandma H from the hospital as soon as M got home from school. It just so happened that it was the coldest day of the week. Poor Grandma H! She does not like anything cold! So, we dressed Grandma H in warm clothing, along with a scarf and a thick wool coat prior to leaving the hospital.

So far Grandma H is as good as can be. She's a little mellow and have been sleeping through the night. I'm guessing this is probably due to a few restless nights at home as well as at the hospital. She is on blood thinner medication that would need to be monitored closely. This would mean dietary restrictions, as well as frequent doctor visits to check her blood to make sure its in the normal range. Its going to be a lot of work, but as long as Grandma H is on the right road to recovery, that's all that matters. I, along with many others, would like to see her back to good health again.