Sunday, July 19, 2009

and they're off

Mom and Dad just left for Ajumma's beach house on Cove Point. It was a very late start (Dad had hoped to be out of the house by 10:30AM), but it seems that Mom slept until well past 11AM, leaving Dad little choice but to leave late. Forcing Mom awake before she was ready to get up would have been pointless, especially since the purpose of today's jaunt is enjoyment.*

Getting Mom bathed and ready isn't difficult, but it's a task that takes time. I helped a bit today by ironing her day clothes, but Dad did the bulk of the preparation. My only other contribution to the proceedings was to make a quick snack for both parents.

Mom is nearly nonverbal again today, but seems otherwise aware. I'm a bit worried about her balance and the strength of her legs; she seems weak and a little off-kilter. She's also worsening in terms of her obsessive tendencies, and requires more prodding to perform basic ablutions like hand-washing.

The other day, Dad ascribed this change to Mom's radiotherapy; she's gone through a total of 9 days of it, if you count the first two days before all the MRSA problems started. This puts her close to the three-week mark, which is when the docs had said Mom would start showing signs of apparent worsening. We were assured that this is how it normally goes for therapy: the patient is hit hard by the various treatments, weakens, then regains strength during the recovery period and after the end of all major treatment.

I hope Mom talks with Ajumma today, but it wouldn't surprise me to learn that she'll have spent the day in relative silence, contemplating her friend and the big water.





*A lot of people who go on vacation seem unable to figure this out, forcing themselves to keep to a grueling vacation schedule because they've convinced themselves that quantity equals quality, i.e., you have to see and do everything to make a trip worthwhile. Almost all of these people are adults; they really should know better.


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