I don’t know how to start this blog post, except to say that my mom is in the hospital with kidney failure. She has been in a slow but steady decline these past 4 months, having had 2 falls, and her balance had worsened. What led to the hospital stay is the faster decline this past two weeks: her appetite has been nonexistent and she has lost weight and energy, so I called 911 and they took her to Parkland.
It looks like she is going to be ok, but she will need a few days here in critical care to make sure her kidney function and blood counts are headed in the right direction. The difficulty is in what comes next. The doctors noted to me that her inability to make certain movements anymore, such as dressing herself, and she will need more than just home care. They said the minimum must now be fully assisted-living care going forward. Thanks to all my friends and family for the prayers and phone calls. You have no idea how much they mean to us.
Update: Mom spent 2 weeks in skilled-nursing rehab, and is improving every day now.