if it's not one thing, it's another

susanna has been in a semi-private room since yesterday, and the boys have been to see her. she was expected to have a visit with a physical therapist this morning to get her muscles moving again and just help her regain some strength.

and yet, today, she is having another procedure. the doctors found a small nodule between her lung and chest wall, which they had thought would be re-absorbed into the body, but hasn't been. so she is in the radiology department right now, and the doctor sounded hopeful that he could go in with a needle and get it out.

my mom is on a direct flight home as i type, and i know she returns with mixed feelings: wishing she could stay to help, but feeling exhausted from being 67 and keeping tabs on a six-year-old and an eight-month-old for two weeks. granted, she chases after four-year-olds all day at school, but the past two weeks have had the added dimension of emotional exhaustion.

i leave on monday for five days in vermont and, as pessimistic as it may sound, i would not be surprised if susanna were not to be home by the time i leave to come back to chicago. her body is going to need a lot of time to recuperate, and if she can get physical therapy at the hospital, or perhaps at the rehab center, it will be important for her to take as much time as is necessary to do that and to do it right.

so that's the latest from lake wobegon.

update, as of 7:30 p.m. cst: susanna had the nodule removed and was returned to her non-icu room -- yay! she was in good spirits today when my mom went to see her one more time before getting on her plane back to chicago.