What a Difference!

I'm still amazed at what a big difference a pacemaker has made in my Mom's energy levels! She has gone from the "old lady" Mom that I constantly worried about to a younger version of herself. It's really made a great difference.

Mom is doing well. We went to Rush for the first follow-up pacemaker appointment last week. They check Mom's scar and deemed that it's closing up and healing just fine. No infection. Halleluiah! Mom has strict orders to stay away from the catbox and the basement in order to avoid contamination. As you'll recall, our basement flooded recently and I'm worried that she will touch something and get bacteria on her scar. So, she is forbidden to do any more laundry. Those are now my chores (additional!).

We'll return to Rush for a second follow-up visit in which they will test the pacemaker to ensure it is functioning properly for Mom. That appointment is at the beginning of October. They are also supposed to show her how to use the phone to report in or test the pacemaker. That should be interesting.

Mom's coumadin levels have returned to normal. We had to make a few trips to Rush as her levels were slow to build back up again after being off coumadin for her tooth extraction and pacemaker procedure. Now, however, things are normal.

The day we went to Rush for her pacemaker follow-up appointment, we also stopped at the other building to have her coumadin levels checked. There was a fire drill that day (or someone pulled the alarm) and we had to evacuate the building and stand outside for about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, the clinic is on the 5th floor, so Mom (and LOTS of other mobility challenged patients!) had to walk down 5 flights of stairs to evacuate the building. If there would have been a real fire, we might have burned! But Mom did a pretty good job of navigating the stairs while others were trying to pass her and evacuate. I'm proud that she didn't panic or get frustrated. She just kept on going and did what she had to do.

What a good lesson I learned that day - no matter what... just keep moving forward and do what needs to be done. Mom is still teaching me every day!

Pacemaker Procedure - A Week Ago

Mom's pacemaker procedure was a week ago and she is doing just great! She really has more energy! She also appears to be steadier on her feet, so her walking has improved. I still think that she should use a cane, but at least she is not wobbling around like a drunken sailor anymore.

Now that Mom feels more confident leaving the house, we have been walking just a bit every day. We haven't let her go anywhere unattended yet, so I have been her escort. Today, she had a hair appointment (finally!), so I walked the 3 blocks with her. Unfortunately, it was drizzling a bit, so Mom had to carry an umbrella. I am still carrying her purse. I am using the wi-fi at the Chicago Public Library across the street from Gilmart while she is at the hair dresser. I will meet her at Gilmart shortly and then we'll walk home. It's all good. Mom gets her hair done and feels better about herself, she gets some walking in, she sees her friends at Gilmart... and then she will attend the Senior Citizen meeting this afternoon. Her friend Alfrieda is picking her up so that they can arrive together. Mom should have loads of gossip to tell me later today. ;-)

Mom seems so much younger than before her surgery! It's just amazing what the proper heartbeat can do for a person. I think her body is even functioning better. For example, her kidneys seem to be functioning better as she is urinating every few hours rather than every 6 hours as she did previously. Seems like a little thing, but I know that it's contributing to her overall health.

Mom has a follow-up appointment with the cardiology department at Rush Medical Center on Thursday, September 9th. Hopefully, they will give her the "all good" signal and then we can stop acting as her bodyguards. Truthfully, I think that Mom likes the attention she gets when she has us as escorts/bodyguards. Life is good.