I think I'll wait until tomorrow to post about the colonoscopy.
    I have something else on my mind, and, expressing it in my best Mom vernacular, "the colonoscopy will be there tomorrow."
    I gave Mom a quarter of a furosemide (10 mg) tonight. She needed it. She was swelling unnaturally. I can tell the difference now, and it has to do with when it comes on. If she is swelling a bit at the end of a day on her feet (so to speak...this often means simply being upright on her ass on a chair with her feet on the ground), that's what I refer to as "natural". Often, a vigorous, stimulating, shiver producing foot rub almost completely alleviates "natural" swelling in her left foot and makes her right foot more comfortable. As well, swelling from having a busy day is pinkish in color. The swelling that she is having this evening, swelling that follows almost an entire day either in bed or prone, very little movement, well, that's the "unnatural", dangerous swelling, the swelling that tells me fluid retention has already begun around her heart and lungs. It has a jaundiced tinge. This kind of swelling calls for furosemide.
    A few days ago, I think, actually, evening before last, I gave her a quarter pill, and then, two hours later, another quarter. Funny, though, she had been active that day, as well as alert, interested in being up, and we did a few things out of the house, including her doctor's appointment. She was also pink, though, and it wasn't her feet that led me to believe she needed some help releasing fluid; it was her belly. It's taken me awhile, but I can recognize the type of gut swelling that indicates cardio-plueral congestion. I'm not sure why it happened; usually, a day spent mostly vertical guarantees only on-my-feet-all-day swelling. She's quite anemic, right now, though, so her body is doing other strange things, as well.
    I am going to start another post to break this up.
- posted by gail rae @ 00:14   email...this post