The neurosurgeon in Orlando looked at her and her tests and said "You definitely need surgery but it's not an emergency. Go home, we'll have the operation in 2 weeks."
So she's home for New Years, which is cool, and she's definitely glad to be out of the hospital, stretching her legs and wearing real clothes and playing with the dogs. I imagine the delay is due to hospital staff being on vacation, but regardless we are going to make the most of it, as we now have time to actually prepare for a hospital stay and convalescence: in addition to making a "hospital bug-out bag" that includes toiletries, books, etc, she's going make sure we have lots of meals prepared and frozen before the operation.
My track record with cooking in the kitchen is terrible -- the smoke detector is less than two feet from the stove, and any time something gets on the burner and lets off some smoke, the alarm WHOOP WHOOPs like the house was burning down. Worse, this is not an easily movable alarm: it's hard-wired into the house system, and because it's tied to the security system, it auto-alerts the local fire department. I'm actually 2 for 2 when it comes to cooking and summoning firefighters.
Look, I promise I'm a self-sustaining adult! I just can't be allowed anywhere near a stove.
Anyway, she's home and both the dogs and I are relieved. Things are going to be hectic/hellish in the month of convalescence following her surgery, but at least there will be time to prepare for that rather than have it sprung on me.
Good luck and God bless.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear your mother's home.
ReplyDeleteYou know... either you need to learn to cook, or you're going to need a bag of holding for a BOB so you can cram your mother in there for the [insert favorite phobia] apocalypse. It isn't that hard; even I can do it (by necessity: 1) not married, so no one else is here to do it; 2) poor, so I can't afford take out; 3) no take out within an hour's drive anyway; 4) with a foot of snow on the ground, I don't want to drive for take out).
Two rules to get started. Start simple. Don't get distracted (which means you stay in the kitchen; no "that'll take a couple of minutes to heat up, so I'll just check email real quick"). Try rice-based casseroles. They're almost impossible to screw up, you can prepare them in a conventional oven or a microwave, and a multi-serving dish keeps well in the fridge so you don't have to cook everyday. And rice is a good storage staple.
You have all those camp stoves right? Just move your cooking outside.
ReplyDeleteI hope she is feeling better and this is soon past.
ReplyDeleteIf all else fails, the cooked chickens at the grocery can make all kinds of good things, when shredded or chopped.
I hope the New Year is quiet for you and you get some down time to yourse.f