Thursday, July 10, 2008

aunt update

My aunt had the hysterectomy on Tuesday afternoon and the surgeon saw no other signs of cancer in the area. He expressed supreme confidence that the surgery resulted in all of the cancer being removed. I don't know if she'll have to do any chemo at this point but I've talked to her several times on the phone and she was in good spirits (the morphine pump really helps with that, ya know). My mom is staying with her at the hospital so I'm staying at the house with the dogs, doin' my thing. My mom called on Tuesday before they left for the hospital saying things like, "The shower's clean, there's a pizza in the freezer, the dogs get 1/3 of can of dog food twice a day. It doesn't matter if Chiquita eats Buggar's food since they get the same amount. Just put it on a paper plate..." I wanted to interrupt, to say "You do know mom, that I pet sit ALL THE TIME, that I consider myself somewhat of a professional?" Instead, I just nodded my head (isn't it strange how we do that when the person on the other end of the line cannot see what we're doing) and made affirming noises. That's what I always do with clingy owners, smile and nod :) The various animals and I always come to our own agreements with how things will work while I'm there and my aunt's house is no different. That's how it is with anyone's petsitter, it won't be exactly how it is when you're home but the little guys will be fed, petted and pampered while you're gone.

Anyway, Aunt C is supposed to be coming home tomorrow. I'll probably stay another night with them just to help out but then, speak of the devil, I have another petsitting job starting on Saturday so I'll have to move all my stuff over to the other house.

My grandmother is at a rehab hospital for the next 10 weeks and, according to my mother, the staff is having a very tough time with her. She is more than a little senile and is not used to people not catering to her every imagined need. For instance, we often have long conversations about her getting up to go to the bathroom. Now, my grandmother has not been out of bed for YeArS but, through a lovely little mind blip called sundowning, she is convinced that she walks all over the house every night instead of sleeping. She becomes VERY upset and cries because we "won't let her get up to go to the bathroom". This conversation takes place every day, all day long. We're used to it, the hospital staff is not. Life is grand sometimes.

3 comments:

Erica said...

i'm glad your aunt seems to be okay!

Ms. Hubbard said...

Glad to hear your aunt seems to be doing ok and that the surgery went well.

Kenny P. said...

That's great news regarding your aunt! What a relief. I hope the news continues to be of that variety.

Sorry about your grandmother's predicament, though (and for the staff!)