And the Surprises Keep on Coming...

       

This Monday am had the folks and myself heading to an appointment for my Mom at the Institute on Aging, a  beautiful newer building on the UAMS complex. What gorgeous art some benefactors  have contributed to the grounds and building's interior!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
Two bronze statues grace their circle drive, the first is called 'Seated Lady' by R.C. Gorman and the other's 'Pueblo Flying Eagle' by Namingha. This contemporary Native American art is simply stunning.

Beautiful fabric banners hang from the high ceilings...

The problem with this appointment was that this visit was not cataract related.  In fact the good news is that the procedure did not worsen the vision in her legally blind eye and if my Mom hadn't been in such pain she might have even been able to enjoy her surroundings... Unbeknownst to she had a 'serious' infection.

You see on the day of the cataract surgery my Mom didn't want anything to stop the surgery even an infection that she neglected to share with the Doctor. When we returned home last Thursday after my surprise, she had shown me a puffy pink area in the groin area and I said it needed attention and we should go back to the hospital ER.  My Dad after recently experiencing a 6 hr ER visit with no answers insisted on waiting until the next morning to see if the area would be better /worse. By the time I arrived at the house the next morning, he had placed a call to her general practitioner for a referral to a Geriatric Gyne Doc.  Unfortunately,  Mom would have to wait for a Monday morning appointment 3 days later.

VERY wrong decision because by Monday she was having trouble walking and was in pain. The area had enlarged 5x and was beet red. Mom was admitted to the hospital straight from the clinic.  Thank goodness for the shuttle van who expediated her transportation to general admissions.


So now having spent 3 days  in the hospital she has been receiving IV antibiotics, fluids and pain meds and has 4 teams of consults to get her better. This is not a surprise anybody wants to have to experience.

The moral of the story if you need to go to the ER, GO. Don't wait.

Prayers are with you MOM for a speedy recovery...