March 23, 2017 - Thursday (I think)
30 degrees/cloudy skies/calm winds
Terre Haute, Indiana

It's difficult to give the weather conditions from an apartment in the middle of a city. Most mornings, up home, I've already taken a predawn walk around the yard before writing, even in the winter months, simply to get a feel for the day ahead. Occasionally, I can see the very brightest stars if the sky is especially dark.

I just looked out the window of Mom's apartment to check on the weather conditions. I couldn't see a star if it hit me in the head. The ambient light is so bright that even with perfect vision, one wouldn't know what might be overhead. As far as the conditions... I looked at the weather online like everyone else who lives in the city.

Wednesday was a day of ups and downs. Mom rested comfortably Tuesday night. Wednesday morning the nurses attempted to get her up and moving.

The incision from her surgery stretches clear across her waistline and when she moved, the pain was horrible, enough so that it caused her blood pressure to spike and that caused her heart to go into a fibrillation, an uncontrolled racing of the heart.

I'd been visiting with Mom and she had asked if I could bring her lip balm. Seeing she was so tired, I kissed her goodbye and set off to find the closest drug store. Mom had given me directions, as had my sister. They claim I'd asked directions to Walmart, located almost out of town. What I meant to say was Walgreens. Still, I'd walked past Walgreens without seeing it, but I found Walmart.

One positive thing about the entire several-mile trek, I enjoyed a great wiener and drink for $1.50 at the local Sam's Club. I needed to use the restroom and was getting hungry. I always knew that Sam's Club card was good for something other than buying toilet paper and paper towels.

With Walgreens found (just two blocks from where I started) I purchased lip balm for Mom and returned to the hospital. What I found when I returned to her room scared me to death. 

Mom was gone.

I let out a yell asking where my mother was. That brought several nurses and Mom's cardiologist running. They informed me of the a fibrillation and after a short update, the doctor told me she'd been moved to the cardio unit on third floor. I apologized for my loud inquisition, thanked them, and found the elevator.

It's been years since I've panicked, but finding Mom's room empty brought out my worst fears.

Currently, Mom's hooked up to all kinds of wires and gadgets that beep and flash. As of last night, her heart was still in a fib, but we're hopeful that after changing medication, it might have slowed during the night. If not, she will be sedated today so the heart can be scoped and possibly shocked, resetting it into a normal rhythm.

So it's a setback of sorts, but I'm told not an unusual one for those who have previously undergone open heart surgery. 

My sister will pick me up this morning and we'll go to the hospital for the day. Hopefully by this evening, Mom's heart will be beating normally and she can concentrate on recovering from her surgery.

I'm going to head downstairs in search of coffee. I awakened way too early this morning, around 3:30, with my mind racing a hundred miles an hour and need a good jolt to get me going for the day. I have a feeling it could be a long one.

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road from Terre Haute, Indiana...