Author: althea

Jan. 31: To all those who have been checking my website for updates on Mom’s continued recovery, I apologize for the long delay between posts.  Andrew’s recent bouts with pink eye, a high fever, and getting two new teeth sapped all my extra time and energy.
But the good news is that there really hasn’t been much to report in the last week or so.  Mom continues to improve.  She went to Terry’s condo last week, went out to Culvers with Dad on Saturday, and yesterday Dad brought her over to my place for the afternoon.  She kept me company while we tended to a somewhat unhappy Andrew.

She’s still very tender and taking it slow.  Several naps help.  But she’s looking good, and I’m sort of awed at how well she’s recovering.  Mom has an appointment back up at Mayo in the next week when I believe she meets with an oncologist there to talk about additional chemo options.  I’ll post an update when we know more about what her next treatment will be.

Thanks again to so, so, so many people for thinking of Mom while she had her surgery.  I still can’t believe that it went so well.

Jan 21: It’s 1 pm, and Mom just walked in the door of her home.  Yay!  Terry drove up to Mayo last night, and this morning Mom and Maretta and Dad and Terry came back home.
Duncan went bonkers when Mom came in, and the cats continue to circle her.
We had a beautiful snowfall yesterday, so once again the outside world is white and bright.  Mom is feeling well…the drive home wasn’t bad…and she’s beginning to catch up on the newspapers she missed.  We’re all so glad to have our mommy back at home.

Jan. 18, 8 pm: All tubes, plugs, and other wires and equipment are removed!  Mom is moving freely and continues to make forward progress.  I spoke with Maretta, and she said that Mom had some baked potato for dinner tonight.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is that now that she is eating she is feeling pretty nauseated and crummy in the tummy.  Hopefully those feelings will subside as her digestive system re-establishes itself in its new route.

Mom’s doctors continue to be pleased with her progress, and she’s looking at potentially coming home this weekend.

Maretta had an adventure with an amphibian yesterday.  As she was adjusting a nice potted plant, a tropical frog jumped out at her.  She said it had big sticky toes and that it climbed the wall and that it changed color to match the surroundings.  Apparently the nurses captured it and put it in a bucket with some green leaves.  I wish I had been there to see it!
That’s the news for now:) ~Althea

Jan. 16, 1 pm: I talked to Michael and Joey before they left for Madison today.  They said that Mom just feels better every day.  She spent much of the morning working on knitting a cable blanket for little Andrew.  The sun shines across the room onto her bed, so it is pretty cozy.  More walks are planned for the afternoon.
The Gatorade Mom sipped yesterday made her feel a little ill, but she’s moving on to some broth today (her first real nutrition since Tuesday the 10th!).  So things are pretty quiet at Mayo today.  And I’m having a fun day at home with Andrew.  We went out to have lunch with a group of our friends with babies.  They are all getting so big!
~Althea

Jan 15, 10:30 am:   I’ve been trying to think of some amazing new content to post, since Mom has so many web-watching well-wishers.  But fortunately, news from Mayo is pretty quiet.  Dad and I drove home yesterday.  Joey drove up to Mayo (and we saw him on the interstate!).  Maretta went to Madison with some friends yesterday, and she is returning to Mayo again today.  Mom took a bunch of long walks yesterday(she’s exploring the whole hospital floor).  She’s continuing to sip her Gatorade.  Her number of tubes continues to decrease, and amidst lots of naps, she’s begun knitting and sitting up more.  This morning Mom told me that she’s doing better and better and that she thanks everyone for their continued thoughts and support.
Uploaded a final installment of photos from Mayo including several of Mom I took on Saturday.

Jan. 14, 10:30 am: Mom is sitting up in her bed, wearing her new aqua sweater, and looking great.  She’s taken a nice long walk this morning, played with her little grandson as he played at the foot of her bed, and took a good nap.

Dr. Farnell, his resident Dr. Thompson, and medical student Eduardo Terra Lucas stopped by at 8 this morning (in their snazzy suits and ties as all Mayo doctors dress).  Dr. Farnell sounded really pleased with Mom’s recovery.  They’ve removed one of her IV drips, and she’s not taking much morphine these days.  Dr. Farnell said Mom could start on a liquid diet to see how her new intestinal system is working.  After not having anything to eat or drink since Tuesday noon (that’s 4 days!) I think she’s thinking that sipping something even if it’s just Gatorade might be nice.

We’re having a changing of the guard today.  Our friend Jack is flying his plane up to Rochester today to visit Mom.  Joe is driving up for the weekend.  Maretta is heading home for a day, Dad is heading home until Tuesday or Wednesday, and Andrew and I are heading home for the week.  At this point, we’re guessing that Mom might get discharged on the 21st.  Mom will have to heal without the ministrations of Dr. Andrew for the week.  But she’ll be back in his care when she returns to Madison.  I’m kind of sad to be leaving.  Things have gone so well during our time here.

Between all the great news we’ve received and spending time with my family, it’s almost been fun!  While I’m away, I’ll get updates from those who are here, and I’ll continue to post reports on Mom’s recovery.

Mom sends her profound thanks to everyone for their prayers and good wishes.

Jan. 13, 3:00 pm: Mom came up with the title of this post for me.  Michael, Maretta, Andrew, Mom, and I are all hanging out in Mom’s room.  Andrew is lying at the foot of Mom’s bed and is currently plying with her hospital bracelets.  He’s coo-ing and goo-ing and his little fingers are wiggling around in the air.
Mom has taken three walks so far today.  All increasing in distance.  She’s not using the walking support that she used yesterday, and she is smilng quite a bit.  (But NOT laughing.  It is not nice to make someone who has just had abdominal surgery laugh!)  This morning when Dr. Thompson came by, he said Mom didn’t need to be on oxygen any more.  He also OK’d moving her three IVs from her arms to her groshong.  Having lots less tape and tubes on her arms helps!  Maretta rubbed lotion on Mom’s hands and arms to get any residual tape off.
An oncologist came in this morning and talked to Mom and Dad.  They are going to set up an appointment when they come back to Mayo for her follow-up appointment.
Mom is still sleeping and resting lots.  I spent a while today reading her many of the emails people have sent her (in care of me) over the last few days.  I’ve had several people ask about what Mom’s mailing address is. Click on “read more” to access it.  Like she said, she is “galloping to recovery!”  Thanks for your continued concern:)

Margot Babler
St. Mary’s Hospital
Patient Care Unit – Francis 2C
1216 Second Street SW
Rochester, MN 55902

5:35 pm: After two walks and lots of resting, we are all celebrating the 24 hours post-surgery mark.  She surprised us all by taking Andrew and holding him this morning.  Just a little while ago, she was up and sitting in a chair in her room.  So we all think she is doing wonderfully.  Pain management is going alright…Mom said she feels like it’s the day after major surgery.  She has three IVs and assorted other tubes and items connected to her (I count 11!), and I think she is more than ready for at least some of those to go away.  She is a great patient, though. Hopefully all the walking she did today will help speed healing and make some of the tubes and tape and wires unnecessary.
Terry, Tom, and Joey are driving home this evening.  That’ll leave me and Dad and Michael and Maretta here (oh, and Andrew too) on Friday.  I’m so glad to be able to continue to report that Mom is doing well.  In fact, she is doing great!