Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 127146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
She frowns and gives me a look of defeat. What am I doing wrong? Is there something I’m missing? That she isn’t telling me? She’s so determined to give up. It makes me think there is more than what she’s shared. I help her up off the couch and then into the bathroom. Soon, I have her bundled into my car and on the way to the hospital.
I try to make small talk with her on the way, but she doesn't give me more than a few words or sounds.
At the hospital, I grab a wheelchair to make the long trek to the treatment room easier on her. Inside, the doctor shows up immediately with a smile on his face. "I'm so glad you girls could make it today, after all."
He sits across from us on a rolling stool and looks my mom over. "I'm glad you were okay. I was worried when you didn't take my calls."
My mom clears her throat and gives a wan smile. "I guess I slept right through them. I'm so sorry to waste your time, Doctor."
The doctor squeezes my mom's hand and shakes his head. "Don't you worry one bit about that. It's my job to take care of you, not the other way around."
Then just as quickly as he arrived, he spins on his stool, grabs the tablet off the counter, and makes a few clicks and swipes with his fingers. "Okay, we have you down to start a course of drugs today to treat your illness. I’m obligated by law to tell you there is no guarantee it will work and that you are participating in an experimental trial."
My mom tenses beside me but keeps her eyes on the doctor, who continues his spiel.
"Now, with today's hiccup, I need to confirm that you still want to participate, and you agree that I've told you the warnings."
There's a long moment while I look back and forth between my mom and the doctor. Why isn't she saying anything?
The doctor cocks his head to the side. "Ma'am?" He holds out the tablet with the legal jargon and a place to sign. "If you agree, sign here, and we can proceed. I promise, it's a painless procedure, just a quick injection, and you can go home and rest. I'll have the nurse print out side effects and questions that might arise."
After a moment, my mom lifts her finger and scribbles on the tablet.
The doctor smiles, nods, lays the tablet on the counter, and moves to a small refrigerator by the door. He punches in a code and then opens it, pulling out a small vial.
I watch him bustle around the room, grabbing a few more things and taking his seat again, then depositing his handful on a small rolling tray.
He moves my mom's arm to the side of the chair and rolls up her long sleeve. There are small scars from all the IVs she's had lately, and seeing them makes my stomach clench.
The doctor chats away about some upcoming early fall snow while he fills a syringe and cleans my mom's skin with an alcohol wipe.
I grab my mom's free hand and squeeze while the doctor gives the injection and then places a bandage over the tiny wound. Once she's finished, the doctor strips off his gloves, cleans up the mess, and sits one more time. His eyes move to me, and I almost flinch at the focus when I've been so glued to every twitch of my mother's.
"Now, she'll need lots of rest. Continue the high-protein, high-calorie diet we already discussed. If she starts feeling sick, I'll prescribe some meds to help with that as well. Just simple things that will make this all a little more tolerable."
Once he talks to us about the side effects, he leaves, and a nurse comes in to hand over some paperwork. We leave the same way we came in, and it all took only about twenty minutes. Even if it was a short trip, it’s so monumental. It will keep my mom with me, so something in me feels like it should have taken longer; it should have left a physical impact, but it doesn't. We return to the car, and I bundle her up, raising the heat because she's shivering.
Mom opted to skip the pancakes. When we are back at her house, I get her settled into her favorite spot on the couch again. Then I bustle off to the kitchen to load her up with water and snacks. Once I have everything within easy reach, I sit on the floor by her side and hold her hand. Just to spend a few minutes with her.
"Are you okay, Mom? You've been quiet since we went to the doctor."
She rolls on her side and gives me a look, her eyes a bit hazy. There were some pain meds mixed into the shot, so I expected it.