Hospital 3
When we got to the hospital this morning, she looked good. Or better, maybe. Her face was less swollen. She was completely lucid. Joking. Happy. I had every reason to believe they would send her home today. I was even contemplating just keeping my ticket and coming home to Seattle tomorrow.
After lunch, though, she slowly started getting worse. The pain returned. She didn't describe it as pain, though. More like a weird discomfort that she had never felt before. The gastroenterologist came by and explained that my mom's albumin levels were very low, causing edema in her feet, thighs, abdomen, and face. This swelling, in part, was what was causing the pain in her stomach--his diagnosis. She is now receiving albumin infusions to get those levels up to something like normal.
The oncologist also came by and explained that much of her discomfort is being caused by her liver mets (where her cancer has metastasized). We didn't get too much information, here ... my mom wanted to remain largely in the dark. She did ask, "More than 30% of it [the liver] is covered?" And the doctor said, "Oh yes"--as if to suggest that the percentage is much higher than that. He said that once the albumin infusions are completed, he would see about sending her home. He's going to give her some oral diladin (the pain medication she's been on--a form of morphine) to help with the pain.
Basically, though, the disease is running its course. What a stupid expression. As if it's a short distance runner.
I secretly think (and, now, not so secretly, I guess) that my mom's liver is failing her. Apparently, albumin is formed in the liver. I learned this online. There's something very wrong about that.
I extended my visit to Saturday. My brother arrives on Thursday.
Whoever said that blood is thicker than water is an idiot. I don't mean to suggest that my family hasn't been incredibly supportive of each other these past few days ... but just that I seem to have found the most amazing collection of friends ever. Thank you for all your phone calls and e-mails. I'll need to break down soon--and I feel okay with that only because of you.
On a lighter note ... as I was driving to the hospital this morning, I had this thought about how weird it was that the streets in this town are so familiar to me. I lived here more than ten years ago ... and feel so very little connection with any of it anymore. But I knew exactly how to get from one place to another--which streets to avoid; which shortcuts to take.
On an even lighter note ... I am totally okay with that remake of "Goodbye to You" on that commercial for something or other. But only because it reminds me of the original.
Ugh, that's kinda sick, huh? I didn't mean it that way ...
