Update on Maria

Grandma is a tough old bird.

She spent a couple weeks in the hospital, recovering from surgery. After that, she went into a care facility. The doctors did another round of chemo, and it did shrink the tumor. They will be doing another round soon.

The care facility has been nice. It does have that "retirement home" smell that I have burned in my brain from visiting my step-great-grandmother when I was a child. Plus, I have been able to take the boys to visit her (finally). According to Maria, "Those old people really like seeing the boys." I love that she doesn't refer to herself as an old person. The boys enjoyed visiting there, mostly for the snacks from the Jolly Trolley and petting the resident chinchilla.

She will sprung from the joint tomorrow: her 83rd birthday. She wanted to go home last week. The therapists thought she was physically ready but not mentally. Apparently, there is a cognative test, and based on the results, Maria was having difficulty following directions. But, she had difficulty following directions *before* the surgery. What's the baseline? She could have been released on Tuesday, but no one was available to stay with her. And, boy, is she mad about staying two more days. She told me today, "I could have gone home yesterday, but your FATHER..." Based on how things have been before and since the surgery, she needs to have someone there. She is still frail (and so thin now!). She's forgetful. She almost set her house on fire because she forgot she had something in the oven. Dad and Mom are retired and they have the ability to stay with her, but they also have their own lives. I hope she doesn't stay too mad.