Can you top this?

It was one of those days.

Bright, sunny, crisp, cool and fall-ish. Perfect really.

I knew it couldn't last.

I had 4 things to do today. Piece of cake.

1. Food shop
2. Get mom out for her flu shot.
3. Get the title of the Maxima from the bank - we are car shopping.
4. Go pick up Milo in Bethesda.

Grocery shopping went well enough. My husband and I have always food shopped together all 42 years. Mom was eating breakfast when we left. She was feeling pretty good today. She planned to clean up the dishes and get dressed while we were gone.

Arriving home the first problem was discovered. As I walked in the door, I saw mom's feet on the floor - not in a standing position either. She had fallen and had sat on the floor for 40 minutes in our absence. We got her upright. She seemed fine. She walked very slowly to the bathroom and then went upstairs to get dressed. But I decided we didn't need to go for the flu shot today. I called her doctor, cancelled the appointment and the doctor promised to visit the house by tomorrow just to check her out and give her the flu shot.

When will I ever learn. Appearances are deceiving in elder care ... but I am skipping forward too fast.

So the next thing on the agenda for today was the title of the car. I headed for the bank. As I walked into the bank lobby a very nice attendant asked if they could help me. I opened my mouth to speak and the partially chewed nut in my mouth slipped into my wind pipe. I began to violently cough, to gag ... my breathing was difficult. People raced to my side, offered me tissues, water, lead me to a chair, I kept coughing. I tried to take a breath and it sounded thin and ragged. I couldn't fill my lungs with air.

It was kind of an out of body experience.

I remember thinking, "maybe I should be panicky, boy that inhalation sounds bad, gosh I can't seem to to fill my lungs". They asked if I wanted them to call 911 Emergency. I shook my head no, but couldn't say anything. Seconds later a bank manager said in my ear (while I am coughing, tears running down my face, gagging), "Emergency is coming. I just wanted you to know." They pulled up, brought the gurney into the lobby. Other thoughts popped in my head, "Damn, if they take me to the hospital and my car is in this parking lot, how will I get to Milo," ... don't forget my agenda!! :-)

By the time Emergency came I could tell that I had managed to cough up the offending nut. Fluid was still streaming from every orifice of my head, coughing/gagging was still going on, but my breath was returning. I still couldn't speak, but I could fill my lungs (and then try to cough one of them out onto the rug), but still!!

Once I began to improve, I improved quickly. I signed a release saying I refused to go to the hospital. I was fine.

And I was.

So I got the car title and tried to slink out of the lobby after thanking the bank manager. And I drove out to Bethesda to get Milo.

Upon returning home, I discovered mom couldn't walk. She said on a scale of 1 to 10 - with 10 being the worst pain ever - her pain when putting weight on her right leg was a 10. Damn!!!

I called the doctor again. This day was defiantly not one of my better ones!

Now it is 10:45 pm. I sit in my mom's den waiting to hear if she needs help getting out of bed to urinate. I am dead tired. She is struggling with pain, but she has a pain patch on to help. It probably will be a difficult night, but ...

We are home ... for now. Tomorrow will start with a 6:45 am visit from the doctor, maybe a trip by ambulance to radiology, maybe a trip to the ER ... but, for now, we are home.

I am glad!

I am breathing pretty good, too! :-)