My mom's love/hate relationship with the respiratory therapist

It has been fun having my mom more alert and  more able to talk the last few days I was able to visit. On Friday I was able to stay at the hospital with my dad from around 9:30 to 6:00. During that time I acted as a translator between my dad and mom. Mom's voice was barely a whisper (since it has gotten louder and stronger) and Dad's hearing even with the hearing aids wasn't cutting it.

Colette has mentioned my mom's determination to take enough breaths to make the respiratory therapist happy. She does this with what appears to be little effort every time one of them comes in. (I think she's showing off. She holds half of the breaths out about three seconds longer than needed.)

 Besides the breathing they also try and get her to cough as much as she can and get her lungs cleared out a little better.The coughing part has been really hard. Throughout the day she tried several times, with minimal success. During one of these breathing/coughing sessions the respiratory therapist and my dad were both eagerly leaning over my mom's bed, urging her to try and cough.

No cough came, but she whispered something. I came closer to try and translate. It went something like this..."You guys are..?..going to heaven." I laughed, turned around and informed the nurse and my dad, "Well either she said you guys are going to heaven or that  you are NOT going to heaven. I'm not sure if she is grateful or mad at you right now. Let's hope it's grateful."

Later she coughed and made everyone in the room jump with surprise. Of course the respiratory therapist was nowhere in sight.