Once again, I’ve changed the focus of this blog.  This time to the issues and problems that come with aging.

In January 2018, I managed to do something painful to my thumb.  I finally couldn’t take it anymore and went to the ER on February 1.  They did x-rays and sent me away with a spica splint (I thought they were calling it a thumb spike), a diagnosis of deteriorating thumb joint plus tendonitis, and a referral to an orthopedic doctor.

Here it is the end of March and I still haven’t been able to get to that new doctor.  Maybe soon?

February 6, 2018 we were still living at the Residence Inn due to water damage at our home on November 6, 2017 (more on that in another blog, someday).  My mom and I were coming back from WalMart and she fell in the parking lot.  Luckily, DH was still in our apartment and he came right down.  He couldn’t get her to stand up, so I drove the car over to her.  Although she didn’t want to go, we took her to the emergency room.

They did lots of scans there.  The first determined that she’d broken her pelvis in 2 places.  Thankfully, they don’t do surgery for a broken pelvis.  They thought that they would send her to Mount Vernon Hospital for intensive rehab.

Her white blood count was high, so they assumed infection and started 2 IV meds for that.  Her blood pressure dropped very low several times, causing her to pass out.

A chest x-ray was clear, so no infection there.  Because of the passing out episodes, they sent her for a head scan in case there had been a stroke.  Nope.

About 1 am on the 7th, a hospitalist came in to admit her.  He asked if she had abdominal pain and she said yes.  So, he started palpating various areas and found a tender spot.  He called for an abdominal scan, which showed internal bleeding.  So, the WBC wasn’t from infection but massive blood loss.

They called an ambulance and sent her to Fairfax Hospital for emergency surgery to stop the bleeding.

At Fairfax, they did a new scan with contrast – missed that she was allergic to that – and found that the bleeding was stopping all by itself.  Then, they gave her Benadryl.

She stayed there for 3 nights because Medicare required 3 midnights before going to rehab.  <Sheesh!>

From there, she went to Manor Care for rehab.  She no longer qualified for Mount Vernon.

She was doing really well…until she started having internal bleeding.  Back to Fair Oaks.  Same room.  AARRGGHH!  She was admitted for a few days to stop the bleeding and turned out to have an ulcer.  Then, edema.

Finally, she came home and is doing really well with a walker.  The pelvis is supposed to heal itself in a couple months.