Where's Mima?

The Stress Pool has been active, which is why I haven't updated the blog lately. Mima had a knee replacement gone bad. Really bad.
So, so bad.
When she got home from skilled nursing, she complained of feeling sick and her whole leg hurt. Two days later she was back in the hospital with a staph infection. That's when we started playing "Where's Mima?"
I'm used to this game - we play it at the grocery store. The most challenging times are when she wears her powder blue coat on the days the employees wear their powder blue t-shirts. And, for an older woman, give her a shopping cart and she can really pick up the pace!
Okay, new version of the game. Picture the playing piece as a cardboard cut-out of an 81 year old woman in a hospital gown, in a hospital bed, with an IV stand. Got it? Now, imagine the layout of a hospital - doesn't matter which one, use one you're familiar with, just in case you ever get to play your own version.
You can play the game one of two ways, the first like looking at a "Where's Waldo?" book. The second would be like playing Hide and Seek. I prefer "Where's Waldo?". That way the images change - you can add scores of people in hospital beds with IV stands wheeling down the hallways, with masked doctors and nurses armed with computers added in the mix. Okay then, let the games begin.
So, when the doctors opened her incision and saw the infection, they cleaned it out and sent her to room number 1. After the infectious disease doctors looked at the infection and decided what kind of bacteria they were dealing with, they went back in to remove the hardware from the original replacement. This is now surgery number 3, and afterward they take her to room number 2. I found out when I went to room number 1.
Two days later came surgery number 4. The plastic surgeon did his thing - new incisions, a little taking this muscle from here and putting it there, taking a little skin from here and putting it there...you know, that sort of drill. I go to room number 2. She is now in room number 3. The next day I couldn't get to the hospital, so I called to find out how she was doing. "She's been moved. We'll transfer you." The nurse at the desk where the new room is answers, "Pediatrics." Hesitating, I said, "I'm looking for my mother."  Seems they were waiting for another bed, and would be moving her again. I find out the new room number - nice, big room and she's not got a roommate - this pleases her. The next day I return to the room, only to find warning signs plastered all over the door - signs that warn against entering unless you're fully prepared for Armageddon, and should not have anything to do with Mima. I went to the desk. "Hi. I'm looking for my mother, who was in that room yesterday." I pointed at the door to Hell.
Oh, she's been moved two doors down.
Truly, I prefer the book version.
Now, she's been moved again, but this time to the skilled nursing facility where she went after the knee replacement, but a different floor. She received a visit from one of the aides who had taken care of her after the replacement surgery. "I bet they move you downstairs to our area again," he said.
Here we go again.
If you're looking for some fun times, come back and visit. The one thing that won't be moving any time soon is the Stress Pool!