Mamacakes

Today is Mom's birthday and I have mixed feelings - on one hand I am celebrating how well yesterday's surgery went - but on the other hand I feel awful that she is having to spend her special day in Intensive Care in terrible pain and with only some hastily drawn flowers and a birthday greeting on the nurse's wipe board to remind us that this is not just any other day. (Joey brought her some beautiful flowers yesterday but she can't have them in ICU.)

When I first got here this morning she was very groggy but as the day goes on she is talking more and even joking around with the nurses. She is also showing a lot of initiative, asking questions and moving herself around in bed. The doctor said that she shouldn't need any more surgery so I am praying that she will recover quickly and be released in the next couple of days. (She has been here since Monday!)

We'll just have to plan on making up for this birthday when she gets home!

(For those who don't know, Mom has diverticulosis and began bleeding on Sunday night. Monday morning she came in to the E.R. In the afternoon they admitted her to the hospital. Tuesday the bleeding was still so bad that she required a blood transfusion and that night she was moved to Intensive Care. Wednesday morning she had a procedure to try to stop the bleeding and when that failed she had surgery to remove the bleeding portion of the colon. Thursday it became clear that a section of the remaining colon was not doing well so Friday a second surgery was performed to remove that section of colon. There was a risk that her lower intestine would be so impaired that she would require a bag but the surgeon did an excellent job and it doesn't look like she will need one. Her white blood cell count is a little high and there is some fluid in her lungs but the docs say that is to be expected the day after surgery. So now we are praying for a speedy recovery.)