My Mom

[Sir Ironhead]

Armored car 1, my mom 0

Just got word this evening that my mom was broadsided by an armored car earlier today.  She is currently resting comfortably, or as comfortably as you can, in the ICU with a broken arm, leg and several ribs.  No info on just exactly what happened, according to my brother the only thing she remembers is the airbags going off.
The main concern right now is the fact that she is 78 years old, has several broken ribs and can't breathe deep.  The perfect equation for pneumonia.

I can SO do without a Red Cross message, I'd rather come home for better reasons than this.   

[Rani Zemirah]

Sir Ironhead, I'll keep your mother in my thoughts and prayers, and her send lots of healing energy, as well.  Will be thinking of you and the rest of your family, also. 

I'm at least glad that an armored car company is bound to be heavily insured, right?

[Sir Ironhead]

She also told my brother that she thinks it's her fault.  Iowa has some of the most screwed up laws concerning traffic accidents.  You can be stopped at a red light and get rear ended and still be at fault because the insurance companies make the decision not the cops.  Usually there isn't even a police report unless someone is killed.

[Lady Kett]

Thoughts and prayers are being said and sent towards your mom and your family Sir Ironhead.

[Sir Ironhead]

Mom got out of surgery a couple hours ago.  They worked on the leg and arm.  She had had surgery on that hip in the distant past so there was already a plate in that leg and that is where it broke, so she got some new replacement parts.
Her elbow was shattered and from what my brother says they dug out all the pieces and glued it back together again and put some plates on either side of it.

They are doing nothing for the ribs, told her basically to suck it up and breathe deep no matter how much it hurts because wrapping them would cause more issues.

The doctor said she can touch the top of her head with that arm so she shouldn't lose too much range of motion in that arm.  He also said that for a 78 year old woman with that much damage done to her she came thru extremely well.

They are going to keep her in ICU and on the ventilator for a couple more days.

At this point the glass is half full.

[Rani Zemirah]

I'm so glad she's doing so well, considering the extent of her injuries!  I'll keep her in my thoughts and prayers, and keep sending healing energy, as well. 

[Lady Kett]

That is amazing, and we'll keep your mom, you, and your family in our thoughts and prayers.

[Merlin the Elder]

Yeah... moms are tough. They have to be to get through our childhoods. Positive energy en route for a speedy recovery.

[Sir Ironhead]

My thanks to all the good thoughts.  Now mom needs more.  They took x-rays (or whatever) this morning, they see what my brother understood to be condensation in her lungs and they believe it might be the start of pnemonia. 

My brother is on the phone with the Red Cross as I write this.  Damn.

[RFLover]

My thoughts and prayers are definately with you. I hope all turns out well.

[Lady Kett]

Definitely... all the thoughts, prayers and healing energy we have are aimed directly to your mom, hon.

[Rani Zemirah]

Praying now... and sending white light for healing and blue for protection. 

[Sir Ironhead]

As of this afternoon Mom is out of the hospital and in a skilled nursing place.  They said she isn't eligible for rehab  .  I asked and the explanation is that she needs to be able to handle 3 hours worth of PT before she can be in rehab.  Not totally thrilled with the place (it has more rules than I had in basic training) but it is better than a hospital.  It is right next to a church here in town that also runs it.  Sister-in-laws contacts (almost all the women in her family are either nurses of pharmacists) say it is a ggod place as it is not for profit so that worry is not an issue.
Now to get her up and moving on her own.  On her own she almost made it to the edge of the bed with her feet hanging off before a nurse appeared to help her get dressed for the move.  I'm taking that as a good sign.

Just don't like the idea of having to leave her there with no one to "take care" of her.  I'm 1300 miles away in El Paso and my brother is 120 miles away.

I want to thank everyone for their prayers and such.

[Merlin the Elder]

Still transmitting positive energies... At her age, SI, things just take a little longer to heal. Out of the hospital is good. Keep her spirits up and she'll take it the rest of the way. Hang in there!

[Sir Ironhead]

Moms attitude today was a LOT better.  She got her hair done this morning (I have none so it must be a lady thing  ) and was much more settled in.  She really likes her phys therapy (one of them was her hairdresser) people even though she refers to them as "The Gestapo"  .  She has surprised them by being able to lift the broken arm over her head with that hefty cast on it.  Her main complaint is that she is unable to roll around in bed.  To get comfortable that is.  She is stuck sleeping on her back until her leg has healed sufficiently.

No clue on how long she'll be there.