Pretty Tablescape Inspiration, Family Crisis and Dear Son You Tube Video Link!

It's been a difficult week. About ten days or so ago, my mother was admitted to the hospital for foot pain when she was unable to walk. The diagnosis was Plantar Fasciitis. At the time of admission, she presented with a fever of 102 so they ran some tests and determined she had pneumonia and gave her antibiotics. This was on a Saturday. By Monday, they decided to transition her to a rehabilitation facility for rehab on her foot since she was unable to weight bear, go to the bathroom or take care of herself. She refused and insisted on going home. They set up home healthcare to come the next day and the hospital social worker called me that evening insisting I talk to my siblings and force her to go to rehab.

To make a long story short, they dropped my mother off at home even though she couldn't stand, walk, go the bathroom or take care of herself. I had tried calling her and was unable to get in touch with her for hours. I finally talked to her and she explained that she couldn't move. I couldn't go down to help her since I had Dear Son and don't have a wheelchair van. Well, after my call, since she couldn't stand, she tried to crawl to the bathroom and injured her hand and couldn't get up. She was lying on the floor and couldn't do anything, even answer the phone. When the home healthcare agency didn't get an answer the next day, they called 911 and they came to get her off the floor and put her on the sofa.

After Dear Son went to school, I drove down to her apartment to check on her and arrived ten minutes after 911 had arrived. I was shocked at the condition of my mother. I found my mother sitting in her walker, unable to stand, weight bear and she could barely sit. Her neck was stiff (she had issues with it for a few weeks and had seen her doctor who said it was stress related) and she couldn't move it. She was weak and could barely speak. The phone base was under the end table-she knocked it off when she tried to reach it.

I got her some food and water and asked her when the last time she ate was. She said at the hospital, nearly 24 hours prior. Upon further questioning, she had not been able to go to the bathroom either. She injured her hand trying to crawl to the bathroom and now was unable to use her hand at all. Needless to say, I was upset with the hospital releasing an 84 year old woman who had no way to care for herself. She could easily have died. She had no food or water for 24 hours annd could not access any. She seemed better once she was able to eat and I still had trouble convincing her that she had to go to rehab! All in all, a huge mess. I helped her the best I could then had to leave to get Dear Son. I finally convinced her to go to rehab that night and then called my sister who worked with the social worker and handled it from there. Once she was in rehab, I could finally sleep that night.

Things should have gone better from here on out but didn't. She ended up two days later with the Norovirus that had been going around the facility. In addition, she was diagnosed with pneumonia which the first hospital had diagnosed, then released her and said she didn't have it. Most likely she had it and it got worse when they stopped the antibiotics on Monday. The hand was x-rayed and they said it wasn't broke or sprained and yet it was swollen to twice it's size and purple by Tuesday evening, the day of admission to the rehab (xray was the next day upon my request).

So the bottom line is my Mom is in a rehab facility with a virus, with pneumonia, with a foot issue and can no longer feed herself, hold onto a walker, go to the bathroom and can't even sit up by herself. All in the last ten days. I've been visiting her when Dear Son goes to school and went last night and today.

Anyway, I have a lot on my plate right now so I will take a week or so off from posting. I am very concerned since she is so weak. It is going to be a very long road to recovery at this point. She needs to get over the pneumonia and the virus, get some strength back, have her hand heal then sit up, weight bear and go to the bathroom. At this point, they are attempting therapy however she isn't able to do much being sick. I know from my experience with Dear Son that every day they lie in bed, they get weaker, making recovery less likely. And yes, the first hospital was clearly negligent and there are more details than I can include here.

On a brighter note, I found a few items at Michael's this week and started making a tablescape. I didn't get very far once this all happened but I managed to take a few starting photos. I had hoped to do a "proper" tablescape but it never materialized so this is it for now. Once this gets resolved, I'll have more time to play-I wanted to add a tablecloth, some netting and basically dress the tablescape up properly however I never made it. In the meantime, you can see my inspiration for this table. I found the polka dot jumbo daisies and decided to use them on the plates. I wasn't looking for them of course but when I saw them, they screamed "spring"! For me, these pretty polka dot daisies reminded me of a pretty Easter outfit and black patent leather heels and just basically spring! Anyway, I purchased some black ribbon with white stitching and wrapped them around the Spode Mansard white bone china plates. I topped them with the jumbo daisies. Next, I added a few pops of color with the yellow silk flowers. I doubled layered the place mats, using a silver lame threaded placemat, topped with a black placemat, then layered with a silver metallic charger. My next steps will be a white tablecloth, white netting over the tablecloth with black ribbon ties for the corners so give it some softness. I'll add candles and perhaps some fresh yellow flowers. But here is a picture of it for now.

Kitchen redecorating is nearly done. I got a few of the mail order items in this week so I was excited. I need to get a chandelier rewired and then some new paper for the drawers. I am not sure if I'll have time to take the light fixture in to be rewired right now. I have one other decorative item that should arrive in a few days.

In the meantime, I'll show you the new mongram that arrived this week. I hang my dustpan up on the wall of my laundry room and got tired of looking at the back of a white dustpan every time I opened the door. So I ordered a monogram for the back. At least the dustpan looks pretty with my black and white striped broom (Trying to make cleaning fun, lol.) Anyway, I can't make the ugly apartment vinyl floors look better but at least my dustpan looks good. While I was at it, I ordered some black numbers for my apartment door. I used to have a wreath on it but I felt the whole wreath thing was a bit dated so I opted for a more modern look.

Dear Son is doing pretty good. They took some video at school of him two weeks ago sitting in a rocker and rocking. Once they put it on You Tube, I'll try to share it with you. They are waiting for approval to do so from the school. Dear Son is moving his legs a lot! He even kicked the wall when he was in his bed. I don't think he's been able to move his legs in bed in some four years or so. Typically, he doesn't move them at all, even an inch. In addition, he lifted his right arm up during cooking at school. He hasn't done that in years.