Remember when I mentioned that E's mother had taken a sudden and inexplicable turn for the worse a few weeks ago? In a matter of days, she went from being mobile and mentally stable to being in near constant pain, confused, and unable to walk. Her doctors attributed it to her Parkinson's, rheumatoid arthritis, and dementia.

E's sister, responsible for their mother's care, didn't accept that answer as the final word on the matter.

The neurologist ordered an MRI to see if a recent fall might have caused a hematoma on my mother-in-law's brain. It was negative.

But an MRI of her spine yesterday revealed a herniated disc that was in the process of disintegrating, shedding chips of bone into surrounding tissue and impinging on her nerves. One look at those images and my mother-in-law's escalating symptoms got her a priority slot on the surgery schedule for today. The damaged disc could cause paralysis and permanent nerve damage.

So it's off to the operating room to see what can be done...

While I know her case is complicated, I can't believe it's taken nearly a month to diagnose this, and that on top of everything else, my mother-in-law has to endure surgery.

I'm glad E's there, and while I miss him, I wish he could stay longer. He arrives home Thursday.

February 20, 2007