OK!  So I can't count my days!  I realize that I said I would be gone for "a couple of days" when last I wrote; however, someone had other plans for me.  It has been a week since I was here at the Cottage, so I'll try to fill you in.  Don't panic!  I won't tell you EVERYTHING that went, mainly because I can't remember that long ago and that much stuff.  Be grateful that I'm getting older, or you'd be here a week reading about my week!

First of all, Randi and I left here on Sunday as planned.  We did NOT do our usual Shoney's stop for breakfast because my sweet hubby had cooked grits and eggs for us--yummy!  By the time we reached Lafourche Parish, though, we were getting hungry again, so we had lunch at Bubba's in Thibodaux.  Again, a yummy meal--and way too much to eat, so I brought left-overs back with me to Jessie's house.

While in the area, Randi and I had various meals at Blackie's in Lockport, at Piccadilly's, IHOP, and Sonic in Houma; my brother, Paul, and I also had lunch at the hospital (TGMC) in Houma (more on that in a bit).  I won't go into what we ate or when we ate at each place, so you don't have to worry about that.  Let me get into the REAL reason my stay-in-Lockport plans were changed.

As you know, my reason for going was to bring Mom to her appointment with her cardiologist to get test results, results which I felt would warrant having another procedure to clear the blockages the doctor said were in her legs; however, I did NOT expect that the procedure would be done just a couple of days after the results were given--and it was.

Mom's angioplasty was schedule for Thursday, with us having to have her at the hospital by 9am.  We, of course, followed the directions.  Unfortunately, there were SEVENTEEN procedures scheduled (don't know where Mom was supposed to be on that list), and Mom wasn't even called to the cath lab until around 2:30.  They told us she would remain in the prep area for about 30 minutes and then they would begin the procedure.  Well, I think their clocks are different from ours, because the procedure was not supposed to last very long, and she didn't get back to her room (more on THAT in a minute) until nearly 5pm.

When Mom left for the procedure, we were told to get some lunch and return to her room where we would receive a phone call from the cath lab telling us how she was doing.  And that's what we did!  When we had been there quite a while, we wondered if perhaps the phone wasn't working (her bed had to be changed because IT wasn't working when we got there)--it turned out that the phone had to be in OFF position to be working.  Strange, don't you think?

Anyway, we waited and waited and waited after we got the call for Mom to be returned to HER ROOM, which they said would be in approximately an hour from the call.  Again, we waited and waited and waited.  Finally, Paul went to the desk and was told that they had changed her room.  When he asked why they didn't tell us, they said they had gone to Mom's room and nobody was there.  NOT TRUE!  BOTH of us were there the entire time.

In any case, by the time they told us about this change, Mom was already in her room.  Thankfully, she did well through the procedure and was resting as comfortably as she could.  Of course, the couldn't move her left left for about another hour or so (they enter with the catheter in the left groin to reach the right leg, and vice versa) to prevent bleeding.  Paul and I stayed until that time and then left for home after a very tiring day.

I was lucky enough to have a good night's sleep, 'cuz I had to return to the hospital early on Friday to pick Mom up.  Once again, communication seemed to be the problem.  However, I did get to see her doctor and was given the excellent results.  His nurse, one of the nicest ladies I've met through this office ever, worked very hard to arrange Mom's next procedure (for the left leg) so that I wouldn't have to spend so many days away from home.  They even decided that we didn't need a f/u visit for THIS procedure, but that they would give results on BOTH at the f/u visit after the second angioplasty.  She was fantastic!  All of the paperwork needed to pre-admit Mom was done; I had her pre-admitted; we received the discharge info; and off we went.

Mom wanted lunch at SONIC, so that's what we did.  During all this time, Paul and I were trying to convince Mom to come back here with me because of Hurricane Gustav, scheduled to hit my home town area this week.  Mom refused!  So, unfortunately, Paul has to deal with whatever problems arise resulting from the hurricane.  Please keep them--and all my fellow Lafourchians--in your prayers.

W/re the hurricane, Sid and I have opened our home to all of our children and to my sister and her son who are already here.  Our kids have not made their decisions yet as to where they will go IF they leave.  I think there will be a mandatory evacuation of all of Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes by this afternoon.  IF our kids leave--and I pray they do--they will probably come here.  Bess and Nathan have offered their home to take care of any over-flow we might have.

That's it for now.  Assuming we do not lose electricity, I'll be back tomorrow probably.  Otherwise, I'll be back when I can.  Please keep those prayers headed toward heaven.  Have a great weekend.

"The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it."  ~Patrick Young

NOTE:  I pray that the forecasting we have had for Hurricane Gustav is wrong enough that my hometown is spared and that no one else gets too bad a deal as well.  As of now, this storm is headed directly to my home parish, as a Category 3 and possibly a Category 4--I think we're safe here, but I again ask for prayers for my hometown folks, family, friends and for the area most hit by Katrina three years ago today.