What's Up, Doc?

Not much news here today. Mark's mom and stepdad arrived last night. As predicted, she commented on my weight within three minutes of arriving ... Sigh. The thing is, I finally have a backbone! She said, "It looks like you've filled out some since I saw you!" I said, "No, actually, I just lost eight pounds." I refuse to be neurotic about my weight, my house, my children. I don't have the energy to try to please the MIL anymore. Take me or leave me. (To her credit, she did say that I made a great chicken soup and set a fabulous table. "Where did you GET these roses?" Um ... I grew them. Right out front. If I "don't care" what she thinks of me, why did those comments feel so good? Okay, so maybe I do care a little bit ...)

She wanted to go on an outing as a family. Mark tries to be the ultimate stoic in front of his mom, but I had to intervene. I put my arm around Mark and said, "You know, Ruthie, Mark will tell you he's okay, but the truth of the matter is that outings generally land us in the hospital. He really needs this cardiac catherization, and I don't think we should do anything that would make it iffy whether or not he's able to get it." So if Mark can manage later today (he had a rough night, again), we're going to go over to the RV park for dinner and a swim later this afternoon.

--Interesting timing, here! I just got off the phone with Dr. Weiss, one of Mark's cardiologist. We were going over what's ahead. Apparently there are four possibilities, which will be decided after the results are in from the cath. 1) surgery to reduce the constriction on his pulmonary artery so that he can get more oxygen to his lungs, 2) an arterial shunt, 3) a heart transplant, or 4) continuing to medically manage symptoms as well as we can without surgery. (Number four would be the "fallback" option, if he fails to qualify for any of the above.) None of these options will "cure" Mark, but Dr. W says we might be able to buy him five years.