I dialed my sister, Julie, and put the phone up to my ear. She picked up on the second ring. “How’s Mom?” I asked.
Julie sighed. “She’s sleeping,” she said. “She woke up a few times, but I think she’s comfortable now.”
That was good. After undergoing surgery to install a pacemaker, Mom needed the rest. She’d been suffering from atrial fibrillation—a heart condition that causes an irregular and racing heart rate—for the past few months. It was scary
