I just got the call that my mom is going to be spending another night in the hospital. She went in for an angiogram yesterday, which I knew was going to be happening. I didn't let myself think about it though because my dad's open heart surgery two years ago started with him having an angiogram. I got a message from my dad last night saying that they had found some blockages and they were putting stints in and she'd most likely come home today. He called today to say that her enzyme levels are still high and so they are keeping her another night. I talked to her, and she's chipper enough and it doesn't sound like anyone is super worried, they're just monitoring her.

I was supposed to drive out to Merced for Ricky's birthday party tomorrow, but I don't want to be three hours from the hospital. I don't anticipate anything going wrong, but I'd feel better being close enough that I can get there quickly if I had to. I feel really really bad about bailing on Erica and Ricky- she planned the party for this weekend specifically so I'd be free and able to go. I know she understands, I mean, it's my mom, but I still feel pretty bad about bailing on her and on the birthday boy.

So once again I tell everyone- READ AND OBEY THE MEMO . You are all officially put on notice.

This is an open memo to my friends, my family, and anyone else reading it. You are hereby put on notice that you are not allowed to do anything to yourself that requires a hospital (Ladies, you can still have babies, but you are not allowed to have any type of life-threatening complications). You are not to ski/snowboard/skateboard and break yourself. You are not to crash your car/truck/motorcycle/scooter. You are not to fall off a stepladder, sew your finger or forehead with a sewing machine, get stitches or participate in any activity that could cause you to require an ambulance.

Equally prohibited are illnesses which require any type of hospitalization. No extreme dehydration. No food poisoning. No heart attacks, strokes, seizures or collapsed lungs. No severe bronchitis, no dangerously low blood sugar, no pneumonia.

Do you hear me? No. More. I originally posted this after my dad's heart surgery, and several other people have had things happen in the interim, and now my mother. No. More. Hospitals.

I feel sorta like we should add an exception. Something to the effect of: if you know something is wrong with you, go to the doctor. go to the hospital. get it taken care of EARLY before it turns into something life threatening that you cannot recover from.

Whaddaya think?

Yes. I can allow that exception, which would actually excuse my mom from memo violation, since her angiogram was being used as a diagnostic, and should now prevent what happened to my dad from happening to her.

Yea... I mean, I hate that your mom is in the hospital, too.... but I much prefer people taking precautions... instead of ignoring it until all the doctors can do is say, "I'm sorry... it's too late." You know?

So sorry to hear about your mom. If it helps, my father-in-law had a stint put in a couple of years ago and yesterday we played 18 holes of golf together.