Hey there everybody!
Just want to start by saying sorry for disappearing over the last week; things have been a little crazy over here lately. I’ll be better about posting and getting into the groove!! Stick with me!!
So let’s start with work. It’s the end of the year so it’s quite hectic there. So my focus on blogging has been thrown off a bit. I’m usually exhausted by the end of the day and have been falling asleep at 8:30 PM every night. I am pretty lucky and have off the entire week of Christmas through January 2nd so that is something I’m really looking forward to! Michael and I only have plans on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But super exciting news is that we are throwing a New Year’s Eve party and some of my favorite besties are coming!! I can not wait!! If you have any tips for some DIY cute NYE décor, send them my way!!
Next, Remi girl got fixed so we have had to be on top her making sure she is healing well. At time it can get a little overwhelming to make sure she isn’t licking the scar because, well you know, she is a pup and she licks everything and anything. But we’re managing!
The thing that has been taking up most of my headspace is my poor momma is still sick. This will be the focus of Science Sunday. Let me preface with I’m not a doctor at all I’m just gathering and sharing information about what was wrong with my mom.
After having been to an urgent care 5 days before and put on antibiotics for bronchitis and respiratory infection, last Thursday my mom went to our primary doctor feeling very weak and exhausted from not getting any better from what she thought was bronchitis. While in the exam room waiting for the doctor, she felt like she was going to pass out. Mind you, she is telling me this while we’re sitting in the ER and it was hilarious. She went to the sink in the room and was trying to get paper towels wet so she could put them on her forehead. Well she was so disoriented she got tissues instead and they disintegrated in her hands. She finally found paper towels,but she said that while she was getting them she was so faint and ran to the door, threw it open and grabbed the first nurse she found. The nurse laid her down and brought her an ice pack and calmed her down while they waited for the doctor. All the while my mom is telling the nurse that she is going to pass out and die.
Our doctor arrives, with his pet pug in hand (not kidding),literally puts the pug in my mom’s purse and says to my mom, “seriously you are not going to die”. He did the entire exam all while she was lying down and then says to her, “lady you’re seriously dehydrated and on the wrong medications. I think you need to go to the ER”. Thus, I got a text from my uncle saying,“Mom is going to ER. Can you come?” UMM DUH! Well little did I know she was going to Princeton hospital, which is 45 minutes from Cherry Hill. I sped to the hospital and made it there 5 minutes after they did.
When I got there, she was hooked up to fluids and in locationH3 (in hospital speak, that’s the hallway in bed number 3, they were a bit overcrowded that day). And as we waited for tests to be done she complained of not feeling well, feeling faint and of course, she was going to die (which of course she wasn’t). She went for a chestX-ray that was clear (no pneumonia). We kept hanging out until her blood tests and urine test came back and there was nothing significant seen so they wanted to keep her overnight for observation. They wanted to understand why she kept coughing and feeling faint.
I should mention, for my birthday my mom had bought tickets for the three generations (me, my mom and my grandmother) to see Michelle Obama and we were supposed to go that night. But health is most important, so we missed it, but that is okay.
Once she was finally admitted and we went upstairs to a room, she had to put these red socks on because she was considered a falling risk like a 90-year-old. She wasn’t even allowed to go to the bathroom by herself. The nurses came in and had to check her blood pressure first and it was low but nothing too low. They wanted to start her on antibiotics and steroids until they could figure out what was wrong.
Then the medications started, cough syrup, antihistamine,decongestant, and she was still on fluids. She had nebulizer treatments and still an overnight stay ahead of her. They were going to be checking her blood pressure every few hours and they were going to do a respiratory panel (a test for multiple different viruses) to see if there was anything going on. I won’t even go into what this event was like. Let’s just say the night nurse had no clue of what she was doing and my poor mother had to suffer through her bumbling through trying to figure out devices and being put together and stuck in her nose multiple times until the nurse finally decided she should get some help. 3 nurses later the test was finally complete. My poor mommy. After that we left her to hopefully get some rest and would be back in the morning.
The next morning they let us know that she had the coronavirus,which mom renamed corona without the lime (she’s not very funny so we gave her this one). They also told us that her blood pressure had dropped pretty low overnight which was concerning but she could go home if she was able to walk around and maintain good oxygen levels. She did just fine. They sent her prescriptions over to the pharmacy and we were headed home.
When we got home she was on immediate rest and that’s when our at home care started. This lady does not eat well in my opinion so I went to the store and bought her veggies and fruits and organic juices. I went a little crazy but that’s me; more is more!! She was told to just sit and not do anything,which is so unlike her. Even her boss “grounded” her from coming to work or traveling or a week.
Back-story on Momma B: she is basically wonder woman. She does everything for everyone but never takes care of herself. She is a wonderful human being and sometimes we all take her for granted. I love her so much and just want her to be okay.
So we’re now about a week and two days out from her diagnosis and things have yet to pick up. She has a cough that is now producing phlegm but she is still feeling weak and exhausted. Viral infections are no joke people and you really need to be on top of it to make sure you recover.
Let’s talk viral infections peoples!!
Viruses are super small germs that cause diseases like the flu, common cold, and other severe diseases like small pox and Ebola. Their goal is to enter and intrude on normal cells and take them over. By taking them over, that cell can multiply and become many and make you sick. Sometimes our bodies can fight them but when it becomes too much and we become compromised there is very little we can do besides tackle the symptoms. It has to run it’s course.
My mom has the coronavirus, which affects the respiratory tract of mammals (which humans are). It presented with symptoms very similar to that of the common cold. No wonder she thought she could beat it! It is believed to be spread from person to person from respiratory fluid that comes from coughing or sneezing. When you contract the coronavirus you should avoid over exerting yourself that is most important. You must rest and drink lots of water.
Take care of yourselves everyone! You can’t cover things up with airborne and cough drops (Momma B I’m talking to you). Drink water, eat as healthy as you can and listen to your body. Simple steps to making sure you don’t get sick this winter.
Thanks for listening and reading through!! I will get better with posting and keeping you informed on life!! Have a great Sunday!! Beat those Sunday Scaries and tell Monday who is boss!!
XoXo,
Z
