Bird on the wing

I didn't blog yesterday because Mom was kept in CCU for another day as a precautionary measure. So, Dad and I sat like proverbial bumps on logs in the CCU room, talkimg to Mom during her "awake" periods and trying to be quiet when she drifted off to sleep. Her hemoglobin had fallen dangerously low (6.8) after surgery, so two units of blood were administered. Her count registered 9.43 when they checked it again shortly after the last transfusion. Otherwise, it was a non-eventful day.

Before surgery, Mom had an epidural so that she could just push a little button any time she needs a jolt of pain medicine. Whatever they have in the pump must be good stuff because (possibly coupled with residual effects of the anesthesia, of course) the stuff is making her a little bit "loopy" in-between periods of perfect awareness and lucidity. One minute she is talking about her surgery in a matter-of-fact manner, and the next minute she is trying to climb out of bed to make breakfast for Dad and me. When the epidural pump is dispensing the pain med, the machine makes this faint little "whistling" sound that is somewhat reminiscent of a songbird singing. It's really cute since Mom is such a bird-lover anyway.

She was still on a diet of ice-chips and sips of water today. A nurse told us that she had some gas/air leftover in her bowels from the surgery and that she would have to expel it naturally (so they would know her bowels had begun working again on their own) before she could be given food.

A good sign came when they finally (after 5:00 pm) moved her from CCU to a regular hospital room! Yay!



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