A quick update on what is happening at Casa ERJ

Mom took a tumble very early Sunday morning.

She strained her right quad when her leg bent funny. 9-1-1 was called as two caregivers were unable to scrape her off the floor.

Mom declined a trip to the ER at that time.

By mid-morning, my youngest sister (an RN) convinced her it was time to go to the hospital. Sis could not get a blood-pressure reading.

Intake determined that Mom's blood-pressure was 60/30. Normal is 130/80ish. The ER staff attributed Mom's late-night tumble to low blood -pressure.

Temp was 101.5 and climbing. Fluids were started. Infection was prelim diagnosis. Antibiotics were pushed.

Gunshot victim came in and got ER attention. Some twelve hours later a spot opened up in ICU and mom was tagged for it.

I hate hospitals

I appreciate what the people in hospitals can do but I still hate being in them.

Maybe because it reminds me of my own mortality.

For lack of an opening in the step-down unit, Mom spent a second night in ICU. For the medical types out there, her pulse was steady at 115, BP 140/70, respiration at 24, temp still over 100. Mental state indicated very, very short attention span.

The ever angelic Mrs ERJ and I spent a few hours with her yesterday and are slated for a five hour shift today. Mom gets confused when she doesn't have one of us to boss around. Yesterday, she was peeling off her sensors when we walked into her room.

It was sobering to see a DNR bracelet on Mom's wrist.  Her bones are like potato chips and CPR would kill her, if not immediately then within days: pneumonia, shallow breathing and the like.

So, for those of you who are the praying type, I will appreciate one or two for Mom, not that she live forever on this plane of toil, woe and tears but that when the time comes that God take her gently.