That might seem like the worst of it, but then because Mom is a foreigner the hospital had to take precausionary measures, which meant putting her in isolation. Mom was told that it would be best to fly home and then have the surgery that she needed. All of this meant that while Mom was surrounded by white walls, Dad, when not sporting his doctor getup while visiting Mom, was a travel agent and nurse. Talk about a crash course in learning new skills! 
Three days later and many calls to Oslo to speak with Dad to find out the latest and then calls to Dave out in Washington to share the news, I was picking them up at O'Hare on the first of October, eight days earlier than originally planned. I was excited and nervous, wondering how they would both be holding up after such a whirl-wind of craziness that they had to figure out thousands of miles away from their comfort zone. Back at home, it took Dad, I, a wheelchair, and a wooden board that makeshifted as a ramp to get Mom inside. It was tough for everyone, manuvering around, being helpful and not stepping onto each other.
The next morning, the three of us made our way to Mom's orthopedic doctor, where she was told she would be having surgery the next day and was then given the option of checking into the hospital that day. Was there really anything to think about? After a general check-up with her internist and a quick lunch, Mom was checked into the hospital.
Dad, Gran Meyer, and I visited with Mom that night and again in the morning before surgery.
The surgery went well and without complication, which was a relief to all. Going under and all that bit - scary.
I went to visit Mom in the evening, thinking that after almost six hours she'd be mentally up and at 'em, but the drugs were still holding her down. She would start talking, sharing something, then her voice would get softer and soon her words turned into 'daba, daba' and just like that she was out. It was cute, making me realize all of the times my own family had witnessed me in a medically-drug induced state of out-of-it. I held her hand and sat next to her, knowing just how nice it is to wake up next to someone when alone in a hospital.
A few days later, Mom was told out of the blue that she could head home. I was visiting at the time, so I stayed and waited out the paperwork till she could be released. I was excited for her to be home again, feeling as if she had never really arrived.
