Oh Boy

Today started off with a bang. I set my alarm for 7:00 in order to get a bathroom slot before my kids got ready for church. In the time it took for me to wash my face and brush my teeth, Mom rang. She was soaked from a leaky catheter night. When I peeled back Mom's soggy diaper, I saw the Big Evil had been joined by two more about half its size. The two newcomers were below, single file, angled a little toward Mom's midline. Sort of a chain of Evil. I felt them and they were hard like the Big Evil, pushing up the beautiful, delicate skin of Mom's abdomen. When Mom rolled back over after the cleaning, the two had sunk below the surface. But now we know they are there.

Oh boy.

On the positive side of this situation, the early ring got Gayle up and going. And go she did! I may have heard something that sounded like, "Wheeeeee! Wheeeeeee!" as she pulled out of the driveway and headed down the street. I'll have to ask my brother-in-law if he heard anything of that sort when she pulled into St. Louis around 9:00 tonight.

After getting Mom changed, and bringing her some hot water for a morning face wash, I scurried to the kitchen to brew some coffee. After half a cup and another change, I wheeled Mom out to her place at the front window. I asked if she wanted her standard breakfast, and the following conversation ensued.

Mom: Maybe just toast and an egg.

Gwen: No bacon?

Mom: Well, they say meat is the first thing to go when you lose your appetite. But I've hung onto my bacon and I eat chicken.

Gwen: So bacon doesn't sound good to you?

Mom: Oh yes! It does sound good!

Gwen: Then let's have bacon!

Mom: Okay.

Oh boy.

As Mom sat by the window, Dave came to pick up the kids for church. Mom said good-bye to them all. Shortly after eating breakfast, she was ready for another change and a nap. I napped too. When Mom woke up after an hour or so, I wheeled her back out to the window. She listened to her radio briefly, had me play an old voicemail for her, then asked a question.

Mom: Gwen, why does my phone say it is still Sunday?

Gwen: [thinking maybe there was an incongruent time stamp on the voicemail message] What do you mean? On your message? Or here on your phone?

Mom: Here on my phone.

Gwen: Uh, because it is Sunday.

Mom: Oh. [pause] That explains a lot.

Gwen: What do you mean?

Mom: Well, for one thing, Rush wasn't on. And I wondered if he was playing a trick, because sometimes he does that. But I watched the kids go off to church, didn't I? It just shows I'm really losing it!

Gwen: [after gathering self] Hey, Mom, that's a very common thing, to lose track of days. But when I told you what day it was, you remembered. Now, if you had insisted it was Monday, then I would know you were losing it!

Oh boy.

Mom didn't eat much for lunch, then had another good nap. Although she had numerous changes thoughout the day, they weren't very productive. She sat outside for the afternoon, had a very light dinner, and went to bed right after Hucakbee. Mom wanted her blue bucket on her bedside table because she was feeling a little nauseous.

Oh boy.

A few years ago when we got hit head on in the suburban, the little neighbor girls riding with us told me later that's what they heard me say just before impact:

Oh boy.