I Started This Post NINE DAYS Ago

Yes, really. That's what having two kids does to you sometimes.

So, my mom had her mastectomy on Thursday, April 15. The short version is that it went well and she is home recovering. She'll start chemo in four weeks, and we'll find out more details about that on the 28th. The longer version is MUCH more interesting...it was one of those Murphy's Law days...

Harry had arranged to be home by 11:30, in plenty of time for me to get to the hospital and see Mom before her surgery at 2. I was then going to stay with Dad until the surgery was over, probably around 5 or 6.

Around 8:30, just as I was putting the last bottle of breast milk in the fridge, Harry calls. They've scheduled an important meeting and he would really rather not miss it. He says he'll come home if necessary, but...

I make a few attempts to find a baby-sitter, but really don't know very many, since my mom has always been my baby-sitter. Finally, I decided to let Harry go to his meeting (he wouldn't have asked if it wasn't important) and just take the kids with me to the hospital (we were just going to be in the surgical waiting area, so it's not like I was taking them onto a patient floor). I pack amusements for Nora, a bottle for Walter, my nursing cover, plenty of diapers, etc. Harry says he'll swing by the hospital to pick up the kids after his meeting. We arrive at the hospital, meet my dad, and I go back to see my mom...who informs me that surgeon #1 (there's a regular surgeon removing the tumor, and a plastic surgeon doing the reconstruction) has had an emergency and the surgery is delayed until at least 3:30. She sends me and Dad home. I offer to come back once Harry gets home, but my Dad discourages me from doing that.

At 4:00, I get a call from Dad saying that Mom's gone into surgery. He's heading to the hospital. He suggests that I stay home and come see Mom tomorrow. I agree.

At 8:30, I finally call Dad (who had promised to call me as soon as he talked with surgeon #2) because I'm getting worried. Turns out that Mom didn't go into the OR until 5, and had just gotten out of surgery.

The next day, I find out that she didn't get to her room for another two hours. I make plans to come and visit her after dinner that evening.

At 4:30 or so Dad calls me and says she may be getting discharged.
At 6:00 Dad calls me to say she's definitely getting discharged.
At 7:15 he calls to say that they're leaving the hospital.

I finally make it over there around 9:00 a.m., right after I headed into work for a page, only to find another chaplain there already...because I had forgotten that I was on-call Saturday instead of Friday.

The good news is that Mom is doing fairly well, already off narcotics and moving around pretty well. She sees the oncologist on Wednesday and should find out more details about the chemo treatment then.