Bea Update

Mom has had enough of Good News/Bad News in the last few months.  A chest X-Ray triggered an intense round of medical tests this year, and I have spent quite a bit of time with Mom so I could take her to doctor appointments.  Her lung capacity was down to 60%, and she had two sets of biopsies done at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.  The meeting with her doctor for results began with "There's good news, and bad news."  The good news is Mom does not have cancer.  Note the smiles, and the relief Mom is showing.

Mom does have a pretty serious infection in one lung, but if she takes her meds for the next year and a half, she should have a successful recovery.  The side effects of diminished lung capacity and all the medication have to be watched closely.  She had a big spike in her blood pressure recently, and her family doctor told her to come right in for a look.  She had a minor heart attack while he was examining her, and she spent a couple days in the Washington County Hospital.  Mom is doing OK now, and going to Cardiac Rehab for a couple sessions every week.



I went north to visit last week, and blew her leaves out onto the terrace for her. She was out today with a rake, rolling up new arrivals. She is feeling good enough now that she is talking about cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving. Her last range trip was in August, and she had dropped from two miles to one mile of walking at that time.  Taking it easy indoors during the upcoming winter months will probably be good for her.