Update

Mother has a new hip. She went in around 9 or so and although she spent about 2 and a half hours in the OR, the actual procedure only took about 45 minutes. Mom handled the procedure very well and she didn't lose much blood.

They took her back up to her room around 1:00 pm and amped up the Versed in her system with injections of Demerol and some anti-nausea drug the name of which my tired little brain cannot bring to the top. She is in a deep sleep and she won't wake up until 3:30 or 4 am. The nurse told me I was welcome to stay but that it might be kind of boring under the circumstances. So I came on home.

I think it is nothing short of astounding that they replace a hip in 45 minutes. I also think it is astounding that they can replace a hip in a deconditioned 85 year old woman without killing her dead in the process. This was not nearly the ordeal I has steeled myself for.

They will keep her over the weekend in order to make sure that the UTI has resolved itself and to manage the pain. They say they are gonna get her up and walking around tomorrow which I will have to see for myself. They are also gonna give her some PT in the nursing home although nobody believes that she will take up walking again just because she has a new hip.

As for me, if I am still awake at 9 I will be amazed. Spending time in the hospital will wear your ass out. I have been wrapped way tight since Tuesday and I guess that this condition was not exactly classified information judging from all of the text messages that said things like, " Maybe now you can relax." or "I hope you get some rest.' I thought I was more together than that. Guess not.

I will be spending time in Conway tomorrow and Sunday so this is about the last you will hear from me until next week. Thank you for all the calls, e-mails and text messages you have sent the last 2-3 days. It really helped. It really did.

We are realists over here. As Bob said, "Let's face it, this is the beginning of the end. But if we can add a pain free year to her remaining days, that's a good thing."

When they wheeled her out it occurred to me that I might never see her again. I saw her again.

So far so good.