The Tour de' Willowbrook (Friday)

Mom biked for 5 minutes today (thus the title of this post!). Her physical therapist was impressed and even more impressed when they realized her oxygen tank was empty. Mom also spent 5 minutes standing putting rubber washers on various size posts. I thought of those Japanese game shows when she told me that -- only without the funny bunny costumes, sticky marshmallow filling and pounds and pounds of flour -- MAJDE! (my girls love the Japanese game shows)

Mom was visited by the ambudsman (holy cow, I can't spell that.) She wanted to know if everything was going ok. Mom said "yep, beyond expectation. I feel truly blessed." I wasn't there, but I'm sure she was thrilled to hear that! Dad adds "not too many homes like this have their own chef. They must serve TV Dinners," he says with a chuckle.

The phone rings. It's the phone Andrea and I took from our bedroom for mom. I recognize that ring from all the late night phone calls we get from Andrea's work. (Stop calling so late/early!)

Nancy is on the phone. No idea who she is. Mom's chewing on her finger. The oxygen machine hums in the background. Dad looks like he's 5 minutes away from a good nap.

Mom was taking a pill when I arrived this evening. She was talking about dinner and the acid reflux she now has from the protein shakes. "It's not pleasant," Mom says.

Mom and Dad are talking about the things they are going to do when Mom gets out of the nursing home. "We'll do that," Dad says, though I'm not sure what specifically they were talking about. "We'll be spontaneous, too." He gloats as he turns his attention to a bird that flies into the window.

Mom's squeezing her exercise ball. Her left arm is bothering her. "It's really tight," she says.

No radiation tomorrow. No PT tomorrow. No treatments of any kind. I ask her if she'd like me to bring her a puzzle for all her free time. "A puzzle? No." Mom's never been a puzzle person.

Dad golfed yesterday with Uncle Dick. He's telling me about his 'par' he got. They played at Blackhawk, a fantastic 18-hole course run by Jack Groezinger, a former member of my hockey team. Apparently Dad hit a terrific approach shot over a tree. He also hit a tree then reached out and caught the ball while it was still in motion. "Then I did it again," Dad says with a howl. "I popped it up twice and did the same thing." He's in a full-blown laugh now.

He hit 3 greens in regulation. "Parred 1 of them," Dad says. Mom says he needs to practice his putting. It's good to hear them talking about golf, vacations and the weather rather than lung capacity and fluid build-up.

Mom's had another full day. She walked the hall today after therapy and she "felt like Lance Armstrong... for about 30 seconds."