Day One

Scott and I were awakened by a New Year's Day earthquake - 4.2 magnitude. I didn't sleep much after that because I kept thinking about how we'd survive being on the 12th floor of a hotel building in downtown OKC in case it collapsed.






After we got home, we mostly relaxed until I had to take my mom to the urgent care clinic. She had caught a cold over the break, coughing with a runny nose (no fever), and the diabetic safe meds she had on hand were only making her cough worse (it seemed).  The herbal teas had helped but her cough worsened on NYE when we didn't have the tea with us and she only had her expectorant. She was up much of the night coughing and before lunch, had a coughing fit so violent that it scared us into action.

I was online researching which meds to give her safely, an antihistamine that would not affect her blood pressure or blood sugar, when Scott suggested I take her to the clinic to have a doctor check her out and determine the best course of action. I was a little put out because I wanted to hang out around the house and nap, but my mom needed some relief.

At the clinic, I filled out the paperwork for her. It felt weird to be doing this for my mom when I'd been to this clinic doing the same for my daughters in the past year.  My sister's the nurse so she is way more qualified in this role. When the nurse was checking her vitals with my mom up on the table, legs swinging, I thought about how little she is and how childlike she seemed, needing someone to take care of her. Tears stung my eyes for a moment but I didn't want her to see me getting emotional. I just wanted to get her back to her spunky old self.

Her lungs were clear and the doctor prescribed an OTC antihistamine mentioning that the nasal sprays would not affect her blood sugar. We got her some NasaCort to help with her runny nose and a prescription cough suppressant to help her sleep. She was much better that evening, but I could not shake the thought of her being a frail human, all these years on her own (so stubbornly independent), needing someone to take care of her now. I am so glad that my sister is there for her even though I miss my sister fiercely.