A General I once served under had a famous quote - bad news doesn't get better with time so just tell me what's going on so we can fix it. So let's start with the bad news.
Mom fell again :( As we know she is super stubborn and has insisted on walking around the house without a walker. She has been able to do it for a few weeks now, but one little trip and down she went. She ended up injuring her ankle (mobile x-ray tells us there are no breaks, only bad sprains) and she is now back in bed and a little fearful to get out again. In some ways we are starting over and back to square one, but I hope we can remind her of her previous efforts and progress to keep her from laying in bed all day.
Mom has also had a bit of a cold of some sort. Her lungs are crackling and we are a little worried it's pneumonia again. Her O2 levels are very low and she is back on oxygen. McCall has her scheduled for a COVID test this week and we will see what that shows us (hopefully nothing). We have been super careful around her and are assuming (hoping) it's a bad cold.
Another issue that has presented itself is her delirium and rambling. This could be a result of so many things and we are keeping an eye on her meds and hydration again. If you get a rambling text from her (I have received a few weird ones this week :) ) know that she's not quite with it right now.
Now for the good news!
A week before the fall she accomplished another amazing feat - SHE CLIMBED THE STAIRS! With Spencer's help (did I mention how great he is) she went upstairs and was able to see the top floor of her new home. We were all so thrilled and proud of her! This is her new benchmark as she begins another recovery and I'm sure the downstairs is just a couple of months away!
Christmas was a COVID Christmas. We cancelled our usual Xmas Eve get-together and instead stopped by to make sure Mom and Dad were in good spirits. We chatted for a bit (masked up - lame) and she was happy with the company.
We also were able to celebrate a huge milestone - Grandpa Knowlton's (Hooper Jr) 100th birthday...kind of. His massive party plans in Salt Lake were cancelled due to...you know. He lives in Dallas so only Dad (III) flew down to be with him. He was honored in Dallas by the Mid America Flight Museum (he is a WWII pilot and vet) and his neighborhood. There was a drive by for him organized by the amazing Megan Sanderson (our cousin). Megan is someone we also need to recognize as she has been the ROCK for our Grandpa in Dallas. There is no way the celebration and honor for him could have taken place without her. Prior to his birthday she also organized a card campaign to make sure he received 100 cards for his birthday. He LOVED them all and hung them with pride! Thank you Megan!
I hope everyone has a much better 2021 and hopefully the next update will include some real progress. As always, thank you so much for loving and supporting our mom!
Pictures are of Grandpa's Mid America poster, Dad with Grandpa and his siblings, and the drive-by.
