Again? Really??

U.

G.

H.

So, here's what's been happening the last 24 hours (or, the last 4 weeks, really)... My Mom has been suffering from the same nasty virus that everyone else has had over the past 4 weeks. She has had a terrible, horrible violent cough that just won't go away. She's also moved in that time period.

Back a few weeks ago, she started complaining that her stomach hurt when she coughed, and has since noticed her abdomen becoming distended. She made an appointment for her GI doc for March 8th. Then, yesterday, when I dropped the girls off at her house so I could work, I noticed that her stomach looked visibly swollen and distended. The area was hard upon palpation- nothing like what a stomach should feel like. I urged her to call the doctor sooner. By the time they got back to her, they suggested she be seen in the ER. My Dad worked late last night, so I took her in after my last PAT visit.

Long story short- by the time we were discharged at 1:30 in the morning, we'd learned that she has a significant incisional hernia- basically, the "inside" incision from her previous surgery last year split open due to the violent coughing and no doubt the increased lifting and physical activity she was doing during the move, and her bowels are spilling through. Gross. I know.

So, what does this all mean? Ding Ding Ding! Another surgery. Hooray! Not.

I cancelled a slew of visits and my first Baby Signing Time class to take her back to the hospital today and then to see her surgeon to schedule the surgery. I really have no idea how involved it is, but I just feel really bad for her and so disappointed. It took almost a year for her to completely wean off of pain meds from her resection last Easter, and then the gallbladder surgery, and she's been through enough! I am also concerned about missing more work- it seems like I have missed so much this year already due to all the sickness, and now this. I need some child care back-ups, STAT!

OK, thanks for listening to my rant. I'll keep you all posted on Mom's condition, and appreciate all the thoughts and prayers! If I'm in and out of this place for a bit, you'll know why.

For the time being, here's a cute picture of the girls to tide you over and lighten the mood! ♥