Thursday, December 18

We got up at 5 a.m. this morning, and were ready for a two-hour trip to the hospital where Daughter was scheduled for a catheter procedure to determine if she was having heart problems.

It was cold this morning, with ice remaining along the shoulders of the road and in the fields. Winter-bare trees stood eerily in fog, like bony black spectres, along the icy banks of the gray river.

We listened to Christmas music on CDs, which helped cheer us on this bleak day.

We arrived at the hospital around 9 a.m. I called Granddaughter, who directed us to the building where the procedure was to take place. After we parked in a handicapped space, a hospital van came by and picked us up to drive us to the door of the building. It was no small order for Mother to lift herself into and out of the vehicle, which had no running board.

At the building, we rode the elevator to the third floor, as directed by Granddaughter, but noticed that there were only what looked like offices on that floor. So we realized we were in the wrong building. Before we left, however, Mother decided she needed to visit the ladies room, where she was fascinated with the motion-sensor paper towel dispenser. As we left the bathroom, laughing, there was lady waiting in the hall. We explained what had amused us, and she said commented that in today's world, it's healthy to find humor wherever we can.

We walked to the appropriate building, and found the right waiting room on the third floor. Both granddaughters and a great-grandson were there, and in a few minutes, Daughter came back from an exam room. I hadn't told her we were coming, so she was surprised and happy to see us.

We all trooped down to the first floor, where Daughter was admitted on an add-on basis, meaning she was to be worked into the doctor's schedule, which was anticipated to be around 1 p.m. Daughter was taken back to be prepared for the procedure, and later a nurse escorted us to her room.

We stayed there until about noon, and then went to the hospital cafeteria for lunch. I was surprised by the unhealthy array of foods, including cheeseburgers and French fries. We speculated that maybe they are grooming future heart disease patients for the hospital. In fairness, though, the cafeteria did offer salad with fat free dressings, fruits, and grilled chicken sandwiches, which is what Mother and I ordered.

We were back in Daughter's room before they took her to surgery, which they did promptly at 1 p.m. We adjourned to the lobby area to wait. In the meantime, I called Son and Daughter-in-Law to let them know about Daughter, and to inquire about Granddaughter who is in the Army. I learned that Granddaughter is home on a 30-day leave. She arrived yesterday. So we look forward to seeing her sometime soon.

Daughter's procedure went well. It revealed that Daughter has a strong heart and no blocked arteries. So her complaints of being tired, getting easily winded, and having a rapid heat beat, are caused by something else. Right now, she is on medications to slow her heart rate, and she is scheduled to see her doctor again in a month.

Following the procedure, Daughter had to keep her leg absolutely still for two hours, and not raise her head, which she did from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. After that, she was dismissed to go home. We left around 3 p.m. Daughter is to take it easy for three days, being careful not to lift anything or drive. After that, she can return to her normal life. As it happens she has two weeks paid vacation, anyway, because the college where she works is on Christmas break.

It was really, really foggy on our drive back home, but we arrived safe and sound just before 5:30 p.m. Mother and I immediately set about heating up the leftover spaghetti, as well as various veggies, for supper.

After that, Mother went home, and we relaxed and watched a few favorite one-hour TV shows.