Update From the Front

My brother J. tells me that my mother was hospitalized over the last year. She underwent surgery for a bowel obstruction, which could have killed her. The surgery itself, for an 85-year-old, could also have easily proven fatal -- but she got through it. Apparently, the surgeons began the surgery, had to wait to finish up for some reason, and left her surgical site open overnight, due to risk of infection, rather than do two surgeries.

Her stomping grounds: Boston's Longwood Medical Area (foreground)

Her multi-decade protestations of terrible health aside, she's quite the tough old bird.

J. reported that while she was a captive audience, there was finally a chance to perform a psychological evaluation -- apparently her greatest fear for many years. Two, actually --- one in the hospital, and another in the rehab hospital where she was sent afterward.

In any case, these evaluations did absolutely nothing to lessen our understanding that she absolutely pegs the Narcissism meter (although Narcissistic Personality Disorder has recently been removed from the DSM, in a controversial development). The docs were impressed by the singular velocity with which she's able to derail any conversation, or attempt to, in order to serve her purposes and dodge the big questions.

Another interesting finding, which would suggest that she is losing a bit of her grip on reality (whether it was a temporary post-surgical situation or more permanent, it's hard to say): she was convinced that both medical facilities were sex reassignment clinics; she had to get out of there quickly, because she didn't want a sex change. So there's another fun data point.

After several failed attempts to get her into assisted living, organized by J. (at least one of which she sabotaged at the last minute, including losing herself a huge deposit), she's now back at her beloved Cambridge hotel.