like labor

This morning I'm reminded of what it is like to be in labor. The pains get more intense and closer together as we move into transition.

Joe called me at 8:30 this morning. My mom had just had a half hour "hard" seizure. She is now able to look around and move, but she is not able to talk. Joe also said that grandma spent the night watching my mom, and that grandma has been getting confused and calling my mom Mary (grandma's sister).

I spent the morning waiting for the hospice nurse to show up and call me. When 10:00 rolled around I called back to find out that two hospice nurses were getting confused about who should go. This pissed me off, so I called the head hospice nurse, Sue, who saw my mom while I was there last weekend. She is also the nurse who was there when my uncle Mike died two years ago. I left a loud, unfriendly message for Sue with the answering service. 10 minutes later she called me because SHE was at the house assessing my mom's situation. (Sorry 'bout the message Sue!) Anyway, she said that because of the seizures not being controlled, she recommended to my mom that she go to hospice house to get the meds and care she needs to calm the seizing. Right now Sue is getting orders from the doctor to make this happen, and an ambulance will transport her.

Before Sue called me back, Freda and I spoke and she was planning to go down to Ottumwa from Des Moines and assess. Freda is still going, and will call me when she gets back to D.M.

HOLD ON! Sue just called back and said that the M.D. advised that mom be taken to the hospital to get seizures regulated, and that she will be there a few days. She said that we will assess then whether she will go to hospice house or home.

Jesus! Could someone just drive a stake through my heart now?!? I'm not good with having things up in the air, and this situation is pushing every last one of my "need to have closure" buttons. Okay, here we go for another round of not being settled and not knowing what to expect.