My mom came to visit us for a long (but way too short) weekend. It was so dreamy spending time with her. She shared so much with us but the highlight was when she and Mike let us all look through their huge telescope! It was amazing to see the rings of Saturn & all the gorgeous stars! Shelley & Adam and Sarah & Marty and all the kids came to visit too. We had such a great time!
My mom was scheduled for knee replacement surgery on Thursday 3-26. On Friday we got a call that they moved her to the ICU. They were unable to get her blood pressure above 70/30. Shelley, Sarah, and I quickly made the decision to drive to Vail, Colorado to the hospital she was at. Sarah and I drove from Salt Lake to Idaho Falls to pick up Shelley and together we drove to Vail.
It was an absolutely gorgeous drive which really helped calm our nerves. We saw so much wildlife- antelope, elk, deer, rams (which I don't think I've ever seen in the wild) and the most beautiful bluebirds. The mountains were incredible. It had just snowed and although the roads were fine, the untouched meadows among the forests were absolutely breathtaking.
We had a lot of sister bonding time. It was bittersweet because I just hate how far Shelley lives from us and that we aren't a part of each other's daily lives anymore.
We arrived at the hospital on Saturday evening. Incredible! It is located right in the middle of the ski resorts in Vail! She had the most incredible view! It was so dreamy to see her although she appeared so frail. Her fabulous husband was right by her side and they seemed genuinely happy to see us.
She had a blood transfusion and although it was still quite low, it helped stabilize her blood pressure and they were able to move her from ICU. We spent some time with them and poor Mamma was so medicated, she kept falling asleep in the middle of her sentences! :) We decided to let her get some rest.
When we returned the next morning, she seemed a little better. She was able to walk to the restroom and back but it totally exhausted her. She was unable to keep her oxygen levels up without her cannula and her blood pressure was still low but she was bound and determined to recover quickly so she could go home!
We decided that Mamma needed some pampering so we decided to do her hair, makeup, and nails. She was so excited! It was so much fun. She loved it and looked so pretty when we were done. We laughed so much, it was fabulous!
A big storm was coming so we decided we'd better get a jump on it and traveled to Grand Junction that evening and finish the drive back on Monday. We were so blessed- we literally drove right around the storm. Anyway, even though it was such a short visit, it was a much needed and very healing one. Can't wait to go see her again!
