I arrived at Handmaker yesterday just in time to wait for mom to finish her lunch, so I put some clothes that I brought from home in the closet for her. I put some framed photos of her and Mickey on the shelf.  When she was done, she was whisked off to occupational therapy. So glad I went-it took over an hour and a half of waiting to actually talk to her. No, I’m not very patient. Wonder where I got that trait, lol! I’m glad I waited, though seriously I’m still not driving, so where was I going?  Rick is still the Hoke to my Miss Daisy. We did have a good talk. We discussed how she is feeling-which is disgusted with herself for not being able to do anything without help. I pointed out that she has absolutely NOTHING to do with that and that it is not her fault in any conceivable way. She feels like she is a burden. I told her how much I love her and that I will always be there for her. We both cried, but it was a good cry.

With a lot of help from Iris, we got her registered at the Arizona Cancer Center and have an appointment with Maria Bishop next Wednesday at 3. I’ve already set up transportation for her. All of her records should be sent over in time to have her new doctor review everything. I feel good about this. She may be able to try something different, or at the very least give us a more realistic idea of what we can expect in the future.

The social worker at Handmaker met with us and asked a lot more questions than I ever heard at TMC. She asked what would happen upon discharge. Really? Do I look like I have a freaking crystal ball? I told her it was a question we might be able to answer once the MRSA is cleared up and we see what her strength looks like and where we are with the tumor. It’s too soon to answer that question. But, wow, that’s just pressure considering we are in day 2 at Handmaker! Does she need me to say out loud that I can’t give her the kind of care she will most likely need? I know that, but I certainly can’t admit that to my mom, at least not yet.

Mom is in the Bregman neighborhood at Handmaker. Each unit is called a neighborhood here, and they encourage interaction between patients. The rooms are set up like suites, two bedrooms per suite, sharing a bathroom. Her neighbor, Lois is a hoot. I met her daughter and granddaughter yesterday. I felt like I found a kindred spirit in her. One of the many things she said was, “I love my mom. I will take care of her and watch over her and do whatever she needs, but I will not wipe her butt. That isn’t good for either of us and it’s where I draw the line. If I wanted to do that I would have gone to nursing school, but I am very good with money, and will make sure whoever does wipe her butt gets paid.” Wow! I have thought that many times, but never really said it out loud, but, ditto!

So there you have it. Mom is pretty wiped out by dinner, so if you want to visit, I would encourage you to come in the morning or around 3 or 4. If you wait until 6, you’ve got about an hour. After that she wants to sleep. This may change as she gets acclimated and if it does, I promise to update here.