ER Time With The Chernows

This quarter at school is kicking my ass, thus the serious lack of posts.  Finally getting one done.

Now that the adventure known at Chicago Stem Cell Transplant is behind us, I figure it was time for some serious R&R for my folks. Both are wiped from Chicago, not to mention the trip back to California- which involved a ton of packing. Mom's birthday was just a few days shy of their trip home. Hmmm pack for your birthday, sounds like such fun. I figured she needed a real birthday celebration. I plan a special day with her at our favorite hot springs- Glen Ivy. I didn't tell her that I invited her sisters and booked her for several spa appointments.
9:30am I got a call from her that my childhood cat, Tristan, wasn't doing well. She was lathargic, deydrated, and had a kitty fever. Mom was going to take her in to the emergency vet and hopefully, if things settled down, come to Glen Ivy later. I was pingpoing in my head- worried about my cat (who is 14 yr old btw) and worried that my overworked mother wouldn't make it to her massage (that she didn't know about) in the next hour.
10am The spa let me reschedule mom's massage for later in the day.

11am Mom's sisters show up. We all wait around for word on Tristan, and to find out if my mom would finally get a break.
12:45pm - Mom makes it! Yay! Tristan was given antibiotics and hydrated. Mom's sisters laid down on lawn chairs with their hair in towels and wearing sunglasses. Totally surprised Mom! Lovely day followed.

Wednesday became part II of the Chernow ER festivities:

5:04pm Got a text from Mom that Dad was running a low grade fever, and likely there would be a trip to the ER. I got on the phone with my dad (who doesn't love a text like that?) to get detail. Yes, he had a low fever (100.4) and yes, they were going to the ER- mainly as a precaution, since he was a recent stem cell transplant patient. Every time he got a low fever before it turned out to be something more serious, so all of his doctors just wanted to play it safe.

I spent the evening drinking a large glass of wine, eating take-out, and hoping for the best.

10:48pm Got another text from Mom that they were going home.

The next day they had to go back to the hospital. Dad still had a fever and still on the brink of having to be admitted. Fortunately, his fever broke. 

It's been like that the last few weeks.  Dad has been in and out of the hospital, often from lack of fluids or food, since he has a hard time keeping things down.  It's kinda a roller coaster of being very concerned, but also kinda numb at the same time.  Every time I hear 'ER' I wonder if it's something serious or just caution because he's a recent transplant patient.  Hopefully things will get better once his immune system is back to par.

Good news- Tristan is doing much better.  Whatever she had seems to have resolved, and she is her usual feline self.

They're Back!

Quick update on the parents.  Thanks for everyone's support during this 'wild' ride.

After almost six months- my parents are finally back in California!  YAY!  Thanks to everyone for their concern and support.  It's been a long roller-coaster of a ride, and it's not over yet, but we are happy to have Chicago behind us.

Craig and I went to see them Friday night.  It was wonderful to see them, but they're pretty exhausted.  Dad weighs less than I do, and that was pretty disturbing.  I hoping being home, he'll start feeling better and fattening up.  And hopefully, mom will be able to get some rest too.

Hot and Sweaty Toil

Ok, so here is what's going on, in a nutshell:

• Craig and I are moving
• Summer class stared Saturday and already have a paper due in less than a week...
• Work and figuring out long term plan (what I want to be when I grow up)
• Dad was re-admitted to the hospital yesterday with a fever
• Mom's back in CA for a week to make the house livable and 'stem cell safe'
• Craig has been feeling ill on and off for a month now.  

I just need to take deep breaths to avoid a panic attack.  Actually, I'm not too panicked at the moment, but that may be from fatigue.  Got up early for a dentist appointment, then stayed up late for class.  Plus, yesterday was toiling around all day.

Mom is in town for a week, and Craig and I offered to help Mom get the house ready for my parents to move back in.  Having to leave for Chicago, in addition to my dad's untidy (I use the term very loosely) nature, has left their house looking like it just survive a tornado made out of paper.  So we moved boxes, shredded papers, and Craig did the heavy lifting.  It was pretty tiring - a lot like moving (which reminds me - we need to move OUR stuff...), but well worth it.  I think my mom seems a bit less stressed with the house a bit more clean and cleared out.  While we would have come down just to help, my mom fed us, in addition to other treats- such as odds and ends of things we picked up from the house.  Plus, we made out well at a Costco trip when we went there to pick up a battery for one of the cars.  All of the cars had dead batteries when we got to my parents' house from being idle for so long.

But I'd have to say the best part was being attacked by some guy in a jester costume.  He looks a lot Craig in an outfit that looks a lot like one of my old Halloween costumes we found in my parents' garage.

Note to self about tilting the camera while recording.

The worst part was finding Playboy magazines from the 70s... Some things a daughter never wants to find in her parents' home.

Unfortunately, we got an unfortunate call from an extremely groggy Dad as we were on our way to a well-deserved dinner (and for me a well-deserved cocktail).  He spiked a fever of 102 and had to be re-admitted to the hospital.  His sister is out with him in Chicago this week, but it seems the shit always hits the fan the moment my mom leaves him.  Or maybe the shit just hits the fan a lot.  Either way, my mom hadn't been gone 48 hours before a crisis.  Never a dull moment.

Since my mom has scheduled appointments for the house all week (cleaning, floor installations...) I asked Craig if he'd stay at my parents and deal with all that if the situation with Dad got works worse and Mom had to book an emergency flight back to Chicago before her original return date next week.  He said yes, and we told my mom.  There have been emergencies before where such trips were necessary.

That was last night.  This afternoon I got an update- Dad is still in the hospital with a fever, but it's less of a fever and he's doing better.  I just hope he'll improve, and my mom can stay out here for the week.  In addition to all the stuff around the house that needs to get done, she really needs a break.  If all goes well, I'll be dragging her out to Glen Ivy this Sunday for a much needed day of rest.  It's a precarious balance game of making sure Dad is ok, and that we don't all go crazy or get too worn out making sure he is ok.  As Mom says, "It's a marathon, not a sprint."