Where to start

[Since August 26, Mom has had four stays, and 24 days so far, in the hospital; not counting one four-hour ER visit.]

Things are not rosy.

Today's doctors included the hospitalist, Infectious Disease, kidney, surgeon, orthopedist. This doesn't count her gastroenterologist who I happened to hear next door, and chatted with for a minute in the hallway.

X-ray on the left knee; between x-ray and ortho exam, not a problem there.

Kidney doctor ordered albumen, which could create a big turning point, hopefully getting the protein to help the kidney by keeping fluid in the blood vessels/cells and eventually getting to the renal system; currently escaping (profusing) into the body.

Infectious Disease ordered a broader spectrum of antibiotics.

Surgeon was called to evaluate, if I got this right, why she has so much pain and fluid in the left leg. There was talk about whether she might have necrotic fasciitis in the thigh muscle, which they can't really tell without cutting into, but ultimately the surgeon just wasn't convinced it looked likely, and too extreme for Mom's condition.

She's still delirious, just sleeping, hasn't had food in 48 hours. But when I held the phone to her ear for Aunt Char to say a few words, Mom seemed to grunt at appropriate times in response to comments. Later, she listened to grandson Bill the same way; this time, she managed, "I love you." She was in an I-love-you loop for the next hour, but better than 'no' moans.