Comic relief

Mom had turkey and mashed spuds for lunch, and bland fish for supper! So far everything has "stuck the dismount" as they say in gymnastics broadcasting. This is the first solid food in at least three weeks, so we are very excited.

Mom spent over three hours in the imaging center doing a progressive small intestine check involving consuming barium. It was an "ordeal", but she stayed "bright-eyed and bushy tailed", according to Dad, and took some walks while she was waiting. There aren't any results yet. Sunday's abdominal CAT scan results were inconclusive.

The Gastro Man this week really doesn't agree with a celiac disease diagnosis. Only one of the biopsy slides from the colon and stomach scopes showed celiac-type cells. Also, Fritzi is over her urinary tract infection. She has lots more pep, color, and strength, and is moving better. Her nurse aid buddy takes her for walks. The folks are also very fond of all the night nursing teams. These sweet folks stop by to say howdy when they aren't even on duty in Mom's ward. They are definitely my heroes this week.

For comic relief a student in the nurse's aid program was assigned to be Mom's special buddy assistant. This seems to have been an adventure in supreme unprepared bungling, but both Dad and Mom kept their senses of humor. Mom finally told the young woman that she was absolutely not to bathe her or comb her hair since she didn't have enough sense to wear rubber gloves when dealing with the catheter. This was also after watching the woman start over repeatedly trying to change the bedsheets. If this had been reality tv she would have been fired. The supervisor for the training program apologized at length. I think the experience actually did Mom a lot of good. Makes me think of Inspector Clousseau. Reminded me as well of the bumbler that was sent to give me an eye exam when I was in early labor with Mike. Ah, teaching hospitals...

Keep sending good thoughts. It's a long trip from mashed potatoes to sauerkraut!