The following happened on Monday, April 30th. I wasn't able to post this earlier because I was doing my trip journal:
When they asked at the hospital when Mom had her right tear duct surgery done, Art and I both said last year. What a surprise to find it was TWO years ago. I couldn't believe it! I had to go back to my blog to find out if it was really true. And yes, she had the surgery after the 2010 trip to Japan.
We had to get up early again and take Mom to Kaiser Permanente at Moanalua by 7:30. We checked in without a problem and everybody was so wonderful.
It was disconcerting to see her on the hospital bed with the IV, anesthesiologist and nurses around her.
Everybody was as kind and friendly as can be. The nurses were extra sweet telling her how surprised they were to find her looking so much younger than her 82 years.
Mom's left tear duct is clogged so her tears cannot drain properly and she has to constantly wipe them away. Actually she still has trouble with the right tear duct (even after that surgery), but she was so frustrated with constantly wiping her eyes that she wanted to try the surgery again anyway.
Her surgeon is really about as nice and accomplished a fellow as a doctor can be, and he looks young enough to be my son.
We stopped at the hospital cafeteria to grab some breakfast because a nurse we saw in the hallway recommended it. Ummmm.... It was definitely hospital food.
At noon it was all over and an attendant took mom in a wheelchair to the car. I mentioned to the attendant about the cafeteria breakfast and he said, "Who told you it was good? It's terrible!" That was hilarious!
When we got home mom said she had a headache. I only had Motrin and Bayer aspirin so I gave her the aspirin.
That was a mistake. We forgot about aspirin thinning the blood. Sure enough. There was more bleeding.
Went and got some Tylenol. But by then her headache was gone. This photo was taken right after we brought her home from the hospital. She looked a whole lot worse the next day.
I got a bunch of my small jewelry packet size plastic bags, folded some paper towels, moistened them, stuck them in the plastic bags, put them in a freezer and then had mom apply them to the eye area. It did the job and reduced the swelling and stopped the bleeding.
Unfortunately, Mom can't use her glasses and she can't see much without them so she's a bit bored now.
We got her some turkey jook (soup) that she's really enjoying so I hope she'll get better even faster.
POSTSCRIPT: It was worrying to look at Mom. She looked like she'd been in a boxing ring... and lost... badly.
Tuesday was WORSE! I was going to call the doctor, but Mom said to wait.
Wednesday was a slight improvement, but she was still in bed applying the ice packets.
Thursday was a definite improvement, thank goodness!
Friday, Mom was out of bed and watering her plants. I don't think she trusts me to take care of her plants properly.
Saturday: She's looking like her old self, if you don't look at her face, but the swelling is almost gone and some of the black and blue is lightening.
Tuesday: Doggone it! There's swelling again! We'll be taking her for her post-surgery visit tomorrow and see what the doctor says.
When they asked at the hospital when Mom had her right tear duct surgery done, Art and I both said last year. What a surprise to find it was TWO years ago. I couldn't believe it! I had to go back to my blog to find out if it was really true. And yes, she had the surgery after the 2010 trip to Japan.
We had to get up early again and take Mom to Kaiser Permanente at Moanalua by 7:30. We checked in without a problem and everybody was so wonderful.
Everybody was as kind and friendly as can be. The nurses were extra sweet telling her how surprised they were to find her looking so much younger than her 82 years.
Mom's left tear duct is clogged so her tears cannot drain properly and she has to constantly wipe them away. Actually she still has trouble with the right tear duct (even after that surgery), but she was so frustrated with constantly wiping her eyes that she wanted to try the surgery again anyway.
Her surgeon is really about as nice and accomplished a fellow as a doctor can be, and he looks young enough to be my son.
We stopped at the hospital cafeteria to grab some breakfast because a nurse we saw in the hallway recommended it. Ummmm.... It was definitely hospital food.
At noon it was all over and an attendant took mom in a wheelchair to the car. I mentioned to the attendant about the cafeteria breakfast and he said, "Who told you it was good? It's terrible!" That was hilarious!
That was a mistake. We forgot about aspirin thinning the blood. Sure enough. There was more bleeding.
Went and got some Tylenol. But by then her headache was gone. This photo was taken right after we brought her home from the hospital. She looked a whole lot worse the next day.
I got a bunch of my small jewelry packet size plastic bags, folded some paper towels, moistened them, stuck them in the plastic bags, put them in a freezer and then had mom apply them to the eye area. It did the job and reduced the swelling and stopped the bleeding.
Unfortunately, Mom can't use her glasses and she can't see much without them so she's a bit bored now.
We got her some turkey jook (soup) that she's really enjoying so I hope she'll get better even faster.
POSTSCRIPT: It was worrying to look at Mom. She looked like she'd been in a boxing ring... and lost... badly.
Tuesday was WORSE! I was going to call the doctor, but Mom said to wait.
Wednesday was a slight improvement, but she was still in bed applying the ice packets.
Thursday was a definite improvement, thank goodness!
Friday, Mom was out of bed and watering her plants. I don't think she trusts me to take care of her plants properly.
Saturday: She's looking like her old self, if you don't look at her face, but the swelling is almost gone and some of the black and blue is lightening.
Tuesday: Doggone it! There's swelling again! We'll be taking her for her post-surgery visit tomorrow and see what the doctor says.
