Dishclothes, Puzzles, and a Book

What a difference a week makes. One week ago, I made a post at work before I left for the local hospital where my MIL had been admitted for dehydration. She had been sick for a week or so and after going to the doctor, they wanted to admit her, give her some fluids and send her home. She had been admitted the Friday previous and by Wednesday was doing no better. Wednesday evening she was worse and we made the decision to have her moved to a hospital in Pittsburgh. Very early Thursday morning, she was transferred to Allegheny General Hospital and that is where my husband and I have lived since then, holing up for the nights on waiting room chairs and love seats, showering in the handicapped shower early in the AM, and living on hospital cafeteria food. Our daughters have come to visit and brought clean clothes and more yarn. Knitting makes people pause and ask what you are making and allows you to hear, "My mom always made those" Grandma made those all the time," "I would love to learn to do that" which then leads to conversations of why they are there? who is sick? and so on. The other ice breaker I found was a jigsaw puzzle. I kept one going on the table and met so many people and heard stories of how they did this when they were a kid and they would stop and put in a few pieces. I even spent a nice evening listening to the stories of an Iraqi war veteran that was there having surgery from injuries.
My mother in law? Many, many problems, kidneys, liver, infections and other problems, doctors, nurses, residents and medical students until our heads are swimming with information. Tomorrow they will start her on dialysis. It is not something that she ever wanted to happen, but being in the waiting room and in the lounge and hearing all the stories around me for all those days, dialysis does not seem so bad comparatively, but then she has not been hearing the stories as I have. I am also reading have a little faith by Mitch Albom. It is really hitting home and a perfect read for the situation that we are in right now. Relying on God and knowing that he is in charge and allowing him to be in charge at this point is a huge comfort.

Tonight I am home. My husband is still at the hospital and I feel guilty for being at home while he is still there. She has been moved to a private room, so he will be able to stay in the room with her tonight. I wish that it were not necessary but the doctors come in so early and it is sad but you almost have to be there to be an advocate for the patient. She is not able to process what they are telling her right now due to her health and we feel that someone needs to be there to make sure that everyone is on the same page, that the three doctors know what each other are doing and that it is accurately relayed to the nurses and dietitians.

If this all sounds disjointed, it probably is, I am tired.

This is a quote within the book I am reading, how true it is.

I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chatted all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And ne'er a word said she;
But, oh! The things I learned from her,
When Sorrow walked with me.

ROBERT BROWNING HAMILTON