Hospital or Hotel?

Hello everyone! I spent the morning with my mom, and she was in good spirits, despite a rough night of medication reactions, little sleep, and pain. While I was was with her this morning, her heart started to beat rapidly, and they have not been able to bring it down to a regular rate. This may be caused by the chest tube that she has in, so they are still trying to figure out what will allow fluid to continue to drain from around her heart, yet bring her heart rate down to normal. When I return later, I will let you know what the doctors have decided.

As unsettling as it is for her to be in a new state to have these things happen, we are very confident in her team of doctors and staff. She has a cardiologist, neurologist, neurosurgeon, pulmonologist, speech therapist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, nurses, assistants, a chaplain, and a priest all working together to provide her with the best possible care. That is reassuring, especially while we wait for the results of her brain tumor, and the stage that this brain cancer has progressed to.

On a lighter note, we are having a debate to whether she is really in a hospital, or is it a hotel in disguise?! I remember hospitals being a sterile and uninviting environment. Longmont United Hospital resembles a luxury hotel. Upon entering the front doors, a grand piano plays classical music and a fireplace burns surrounded by chairs and books. A cafe, gourmet coffee cart, shopping, and a museum of art are inside. My mom has a daily room service menu with everything from varieties of salads to gourmet ice creams. Dogs are allowed to visit patients, and orchids are found on her plate when meals arrive. Hmmm....we almost thought she was in Hawaii....until we looked out the window and saw snow, and the morning temperature of 5 degrees!