Wow, I am tired. Went to Nashville to actually attend
my brother's ISP meeting [I am his legal guardian].
* Friday, Aug 12: flew to Nashville and arrived late in
the evening. Had rented a van and discovered they now
had Ford's instead of Chevy's and the Ford was a real
piece of crap - pardon the french. Went out to Green
Hills and checked into the hotel and then went to get
my mother to take us both out for a late dinner.
When I got to my mother's apartment I did not like what
I found. She was white -- face with no color and she
was wheezing badly. I have asthma and if I sounded like
that my doctor would want me in the hospital pronto.
But she seemed in good spirits so I just waited and
watched her. We had a good dinner and then I took her
back and then drove that junk trap back to my hotel.
* Saturday, Aug 13: Got up and drove out to Clover
Bottom where my brother lives and took him out to
lunch. Then on to Target to buy him some puzzles and a
new Scrabble board. Then drove him back to the airport
with me to trade in that awful van for something I
could actually get two disabled people into instead of
just several healthy ones. I sicked my brother on some
of the staff while I showed them why that van was
totally inappropriate. hehehe  With me walking back and
forth to the airport terminal and back to the lot they
finally traded the van for a Lincoln. Well, at least I
could get everyone inside comfortably. Then I drove him
back to Clover Bottom and then back to Green Hills to
pick up my mother to take her to dinner. Her breathing
seemed worse to me. We had a nice dinner and I took her
back to her apartment. And then I drove back to the
airport to pick up Jennifer about 8pm. The plane was
late by an hour and when she and it arrived, her bag
was not there. We left for the hotel and stopped by a
restaurant so she could eat dinner. I had wine and ice
cream. lol   BTW, Donelson is where my brother is and
the airport is nearby. On the other side of town is
Green Hills where the hotel and the apartment is
located. It is about 30 miles to Donelson from Green Hills.
After feeding her, I took her by Nana's apartment for a
few hours and then back to the hotel for the night.
* Sunday, Aug 14: Jen and I got up and ate breakfast
and I drove us out to CBDC to get Spencer and take him
to lunch, then I drove all three of us back to Green
Hills to pick up my mother and then I drove all of us
down the Natchez Trace parkway to drive down to
Garrison's Creek to look for the horses and then on
down to the tobacco barn and back to Leiper's Fork
toward Franklin and then wind our way back to CBDC.
Stopped somewhere to feed us all dinner and then back
to Donelson just to return again to Green Hills.
Did I mention I was doing all the driving? Seems
Husband and wife can share driving responsibilities
with a rented car but mother and daughter can not even
if the daughter is 29. They wanted $45 more a day for
that. Not in my lifetime.
* Monday, Aug 15: Jen and I got up and ate breakfast
and then trotted over to mother's. She had a coumadin
blood draw scheduled that day. Yippee I thought --
medical eyes to look at her. We got her to the office
just after 1pm expecting to go out to lunch after. As
my mother was going into I reminded her I wanted
someone to listen to her chest. The secretary said that
only the doctor could do that and she would put her
into a room. Then minutes passed turning into nearly an
hour when the door opened and the doctor stuck out his
head and he waved me inside. Seems he didn't like the
way she looked the instant he walked into the
examination room and he was admitting her to the
hospital. Do not pass go, do not go home and get clean
underpants, go directly to the hospital. She was
pouting. lol  Tried to talk him into waiting until
Jennifer and I left town. To his credit he gave her his
best 'mother look'. lol  I really like this man. So
they put her into a wheelchair and put her back into
the waiting room with Jen and I. And we waited for a
bed to open. Another hour went by now being about 4. I
had long ago used up my breakfast so we agreed that we
would head over to the hospital via some passing
hallways above the streets to the hospital cafe and and
they would call us on our cells to let us know her room
number. Discovered that some spots in those hallways
are dead areas but luckily the secretary left us both
messages.
Did I mention that we crossed several city blocks via
crossways connecting buildings above the streets.
Finding the car that night was not fun.
* Tuesday, Aug 16: pretty uneventful. Went to her
apartment to grab some clothing. we played find the
hospital and find the parking garage. They ran tests on
her all day. They had also been giving her triple her
diuretic and her wheeze was nearly gone. When we left
and headed back to the hotel we put away our keys and
called a cab and went to a lovely Italian restaurant
and shared a bottle and then took a cab home.
* Wednesday, Aug 17: Spencer's ISP meeting. Without his
mother. That was not fun. And then instead of taking
him out to lunch right after that like he expected we
promised him we would come back later and take him to
dinner. We thought mother was going to have a pace
maker put in that day. The meeting went well so that
was a plus. We got to the hospital and discovered that
they were not putting in the pacemaker that day -- her
blood was still too thin from the coumadin so it would
be tomorrow. We picked up Jen's things at the hotel and
I drove back to Clover Bottom to get Spencer drove
around doing some sightseeing. We kept that up until it
was time to take Jen to the airport for her 6:45 flight
by to CA. Guess when it decided to pour. So the same
trip that had taken us 30 mins took an hour and 30. I
decided to feed Spencer at the airport so I would be
near Jen just in case she missed her plane. Found a
wheelchair on one floor so I didn't have to make Spenc
walk [he drags both feet using his walker and that is
getting worse]. Jen made her plane and even made her
connection to Atlanta but I didn't know that when I had
finally dropped Spenc off. Sure didn't want to drive
back across town to discover she was stuck on a flight
that didn't take off only to have to turn around and
drive back. I had pull off the main road while I made a
call to John to check the airlines and a State
policeman actually pulled over and inch over to my car.
Poor man, says he sternly 'you are on state grounds' to
which I say 'I just returned my brother' and then I
began to babble about my mother and my daughter and the
plane and the rain and the driving.... to which he said
'take all the time you need'. rofl
When I got close to the hotel I called them to ask if
groceries sold wine or liqueur stores and they headed
me to the nearest one. Did you know they sell little
four packs with screw off lids?
* Thursday, August 18: Still blood too thin so no
surgery but they have told her that she would need to
NOT raise her arm above her shoulder or behind her
shoulder for two weeks so I am off to Target to buy
button blouses in two sizes bigger so the arms holes
will be easy to navigate. Then took them to her to try
on and took back to Target those that were not right. I
stopped and fed myself dinner. or lunch or something...
Back at the hospital she says that are for sure doing
the surgery the next day. BTW, by now I have figured
out how to park close to her without too much walking
but it does say that is is not visitor parking. The
visitor parking is a block away. boggles the mind.
* Friday, Aug 19: I head to the hospital and they take
her finally off to surgery around 2pm. I go over to eat
lunch and come back later. She is there and looks
great. She has color back in her face. I had promise
Spencer I would take him to dinner so back to Donelson.
Mother wanted to know if I was coming back to the
hospital. I just couldn't. I needed to rest my poor
stressed out body. I went back to the hotel and got
into the swimming pool for the first time since I had
been in Nashville. I bought myself some Oreos [those on
South Beach?] and drank another bottle of my wine
sampler for dinner. I slept really well Friday night.
* Saturday, Aug 20: packed my suitcase and checked out
of my hotel room. Then drove to the hospital for a
hurry up and wait for the paper trail to get into gear
and I could take her home. Got her dressed in her new
blouse and finally headed home around 1pm. Her little
toes didn't turn blue this time when she is sitting up.
yippee. She wants to eat out on our way home!! So we
went out. lol I got her settled and messed with her
'something wrong with this machine computer'. Found
some adware slowing it down and got rid of that --
thank you Housecall. She looked so good. I was heading
to the airport around 2 and she took a call from
friends to join their table at dinner [her place is an
assisted living apartment] and to play bridge after
dinner. Did I mention she felt good? lol
My drive to the airport was complicated by the fact
that 40E was closed and there were directions to take
Briley Parkway. I did that and the exit to the airport
was closed. What a perfect end to the week I thought.
Managed to drive around till I figured out where I was
closed to CBDC and then to back track toward the
airport on 40W. Got there and return the car and asked
for a wheelchair to get from the return to the gate. 50
minutes later they finally sent someone. By the time
the guy got my bag checked [thinking I am NEVER seeing
that bag again], and we ran to security, I had 10
minutes before the plane was to take off. The lady
checking me out did a great job and hurried us off
quickly with several bless your hearts - I hope you
make it. I was the last one to board but I did make it.
And John was waiting for me on the other side. And so
was my bag!!
* Sunday, August 21: another open house today but I
didn't dust for this one - just didn't have the energy.

Anyone still reading? So what do you want to do with
your summer vacation. I have to say that my mother kept
saying she had ruined my vacation but in reality, I
think if I had not been there to force her to see the
doctor, she might not be around for me at all. And she
thought the trip down the Rogue was going to be hard. I
know I didn't walk as much and I didn't do any driving
on that trip at all. God bless you all for your prayers.
Duckie