Third hospital...

So.
Okaasan is in her third hospital in 10 weeks.

This time a large, bright Circulatory Hospital - with super bright nursing staff and a positive mood. She is in a sunny, two-person room near the nurse station and has already run a bunch of tests and preps for getting her UP and MOVING independently.

We hope that this hospital can achieve mobility without the need for the brain-fluid draining operation - that meds and physical training can do it.

Hospital decorations

We feel positive.
We think.

We moved her  from mental hospital to circulatory hospital ourselves yesterday afternoon. Sapporo was sizzling in a once in 127 years July heatwave. temperatures at 34 C.....I saw a deadcrow and another one thrown back when he tried to land on a cable....

First mental hospital. Pay the bills, get all the meds, check all the correct letters and mails have been sent between the doctors. get two huge bags of clothes and washing things, diapers.

Okaasan arrived in a wheelchair. Happy enough to see us.
Loaded her in the car. Drove quietly and gently to the other hospital.

Waited, endless tests...and finally admission.
More bedside tests for Okaasan.
Finally she is sitting happily in her bed and looking through photo albums with me - talking about South Africa again. It's the best conversation I've had with her for weeks. Entirely normal. Happy and good conversation.

I was so happy. I moan a lot about Okaasan. But I have - strangely - come to love her. When she is in a good place mentally it is such a relief and so welcome.

The hospital had a good vibe. Like a smart business-style hotel in Japan. Decorations, pictures, nice furniture. View from the window of the forests and hills.

The admissions procedure was exhaustive/exhausting. The staff interviewing us about Okaasan and her recent events - even the hospital dietician  talking about her food tastes (no cheese or milk or mince. No prawns, but loves crab etc)

And this is maybe a strange comment, but foreigners who are living/have lived in Japan will understand: the staff treated me as a human, NOT a foreigner.
They made eye contact while talking to DS and I, talked to us equally...asked me questions. Just treated me as the family member. It's a small but good point about a group of people.

Okaasan seemed happy in her new place. I worry that the change from quiet, non-stimulating mental hospital private room to a shared room near the bustling nurse station will be too much for her - but we have to hope it's ok. There are no private rooms available at the moment.

And so. We hope again - to get her standing and walking a little. To try and get her OUT of diapers and using the toilet herself. It's a holiday weekend in Japan now, so not much will happen for 3 days - but then we hope this hospital will get Okaasan's body matching her new, calm and happy mind.

She's been gone from home over two months now. In August DS has a demanding, regular customer for the bike taxi and in September I will be returning to the Uk for the first time in 5 years. At the moment it is easy for us to share the Okaasan worries - in the coming months our lives will be busier.

Anyway. Mercury is rising...I have sweated the computer chair into a mush. I am going to go and stretch out by Netflix and indulge in "Homeland".