We've been feeling itchy to get out of town so Saturday we decided to hit a few antique shops. We took off with the boys into the fog of melting snow in the central Illinois fields.....
The closer we got to Bloomington the more the trees were coating with a freezing mist of ice....it was beautiful in that otherworldly way.
We spent an ungodly amount of time at Leo's favorite hobby shop Hobbyland and he spent his allowance on a train car and some track.....Owen bought some soldier thing he's going to have his father paint. It's an amazing store....pretty much the opposite of our local hobby shop....
The tiny little antique shop down the block that was run by an elderly woman was gone. A nice clean boutique in its place. Sigh. So we went over to our favorite shop. I don't think we made it all last year because well....last year was kind of crazy. So it felt good to be there and we ended up buying things. Leo, my brilliant boy, at one point queried, "if we're so broke how can we buy all this stuff?" Ahhhhh.....out of the mouths of babes, huh?
Here's the memory ware umbrella stand shoved between Leo's DS playing self and the box of Owen's soldiers in the back seat of the Honda....
Given that we were WAY out of money we drove around a bit and headed home....
We got home and relaxed for a bit and then Ernie and the boys headed next door for a going away party. I was feeling really tired and wiped out so I stayed home. I got a glass of wine and curled up on the media room couch and watched some trashy Vh1 show about shocking musical moments. For a few moments I was REALLY happy. Then my sister called and I talked to her for a bit, Owen came home sad because no one wanted to play so I ceded the media room to him. Debbie said she had to call my Mom. I said, "oh good then I don't have to for awhile!" A little while later Debbie called back and said, "I hate to tell you this but I'm not getting any answer." I groaned and said she was probably asleep....I'd try her and see what happened. So I called twice, got no answer and couldn't stand it. So I pulled out some chicken (a coq au vin experiment) from the refrigerator to bring for her dinner and headed over to check on her.
I went into her house, calling her name and saw her slumped over in her wheelchair in the middle of the kitchen. I still thought she was just asleep. She was cold and clammy and unconscious. I yelled and yelled, trying to wake her up, "Mom, it's Cindy.....I love you" and then finally, "I'm calling the paramedics" as though that would finally break through. I called Owen and told him to go get Daddy and send him over. I waited for the huge fire engine and ambulance with flashing lights to pull into her drive. They asked lots of questions of course, checked her blood sugar and it was 85. Low for her but fine. They asked if she'd ever had a stroke and I said no. They asked about her heart and I said she'd just had a catheterization and it was fine. They got her onto the stretcher and took her. They were in the driveway forever. They took off with sirens blaring.
When I got the hospital I sat in the registration area answering questions. Ernie got there having shown up at the house to find it empty. When we were done the woman told us she would have us wait in a separate room off the main waiting room so we could have some privacy. Not a good sign as normally we just go back with her. After awhile a doctor came and asked us some questions, told us they had intubated her and wanted to know if they should attempt heroic measures (I said no) and said she would be going to ICU. We sat there numbly waiting and finally someone came and got us. We walked back to see her, her favorite red outfit cut off her and on the floor, tubes down her throat. Then they told us they had checked her blood again and it was SIXTEEN. Yes, a blood sugar of SIXFUCKINGTEEN! Mom was coming to and recognized me and held my hand. We told her they were going to take the tube out and she nodded a bit. After waiting for somebody, they finally sat her up and pulled it out.....Mom looked up at the clock and mouthed "7:00" and nodded. HA! She kind of went in and out of it because they'd given her sedatives. I sent Ernie home to the boys (our beloved neighbors Rob and Parker had come to check on them) and to a round of phone calls to everyone involved. At one point I thought to myself, "oh, and he's got to call Judi." I guess that will never go away.
I spent another couple of hours sitting there waiting for a room. I eventually got home and sat and rambled endlessly to Ernie. He gave me a glass of wine and made me a fried egg and cheese sandwich that was wonderful. I went to bed late but kept waking up, jolting awake.
I went over this morning....they are going to keep her one more night. Her hemoglobin is low so she'll get some blood. She's moderately cranky but o.k. We talked about how we can get some more care for her during the day. A doctor came in and told her maybe she shouldn't be at home anymore and I REALLY didn't want to hear it. Maybe it would have been helpful before when I needed the support but at this point just leave me alone. I guess I don't have to take her to the two hour appointment at the wound clinic tomorrow. Sigh.
David Olney.....I am SO freaking ready for you......
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