I stopped at a Rest Stop we've used before, at Mile Marker 69
south of Salina, Kansas. It was 8:45 last night. I forced myself to
pretend I was resting, & actually got some sleep, but my sleep was full of
thinking of Dad. I woke up an hour later, & made myself go back to
sleep. At 10:45, I got up to leave. I tried to start the
motorhome. The generator had been running, the battery I was using was
charged. Nothing happened. I tried it twice. I could feel the
key twisting. I pulled it out & looked at it. It looked
straight. I tried 3 more times & felt the key break off in the
ignition. I cannot explain why I found the broken part of the key on the
floor beneath my foot this morning. Perhaps it is the same reason I found
my lost contact in the carpet this morning. I am writing at 11:30, waiting
for a locksmith from Salina to come make me a new key, & if necessary, to
change the ignition. I got a phone number from Tammy at the bus barn in
Burns. I tried to get one from Debbie, but she hadn't made it to work,
because she'd had a flat tire on the way to work. It's contagious.
Tom just replaced the tires on her car before he came to see Mom earlier this
year. What was that -- 9 days ago?
Meanwhile, Tom has called Mom's nurse. I'm sitting
helplessly, knowing that the nurses will try to put Mom in a chair today.
Later today ...
Superstitions aside, I have 3 new keys for the ignition. It
runs. I averaged 6.7 mpg on the trip ... better than usual.
Weather has plagued us each & every trip to Tulsa. It was not a
factor in the accident, as it hadn't started before the accident, but the
1st storm began immediately after the accident. I left home when I did
because I wanted to get out before the next arctic front storm hit. Tulsa
claims an ice storm will hit over the weekend. (I just may be sleeping
back in Mom's room!) Today, the radio talked of record-setting highs in
Oklahoma for this date, while they expect the winds will be talked about in the
news. Driving a motorhome in this wind is not how people should chose
to travel to their vacation, but Mom & Dad called the motorhome their
vacation home. It is now parked here at St Francis, despite my reserved
parking spot having been taken. Thanks to the Security Staff here at St
Francis once more. They continue to go above the call of duty.
And joy is mine, for I was here to speak to Mom (as she rejected her
looks-like-food tray), who was coherent (we talked for a few minutes) before the
'Machine' came to lift her into the chair! I got to help. I held a
foot to keep it from banging on anything. I feel useful. She sat in
the chair about 15 minutes. But her knees had pressure on them, & she
asked to be put back in bed. Now she's had her pain medicine, & lucky
it is for me, because she'd have definitely caught me going over the 5 minute
time limit she allowed me to be out of the room, when I left to call Tom.
Mom sitting in a chair for the first time
January 11, 2007, 5:49 P.M.
I did ask that her miniature Pepsi be replaced with Diet Dr. Pepper.
She hasn't had dialysis since last Friday. She's still peeling, but no
longer looks like she has a rash. Her skin & wounds are healing.
Her mind is taking back over. Tonight, when a pager went off in her room,
Mom answered Joe's Pool Hall....
Now I believe I'd consider my day a success, if I could just figure out why
I can't access the Internet on the 9th floor. From the lobby, I know
now that would be called total computer-illiteracy. You'd think by now,
I'd have a handle on how to do this. No wonder Tom couldn't figure out how
to use the computer when he was here. He was following my
directions!
I find myself adding several new addresses to Mom's Support Group.
This is a good time to mention again, that if you would like past emails,
or need to say anything, please don't hesitate to send an email. I try to
respond as quick as I can. I am trying to establish a website that will
have past emails, some photos, maybe some stories about Mom, Dad, & TJ, and
some links we've found along the way, as well as general postings about Mom's
condition. If you want to send a greeting to Mom, the website is Saint
Francis Hospital - Patient Greeting. You need to send it to Theresa
Morgan, room 9131 West, and if you don't mind, please include the date (that's
how we are filing them away for her to read in the
future).
As I found myself writing to a recently met, long-time acquaintance of Mom
& Dad, 'Mom makes progress every day, sometimes twice a day.'
Settled in Tulsa ~ Val & Tom
P.S. Glad news ... I can go online in the
motorhome!