Thanks, Debbie. I'm sorry you had the experience you did with your mother.

My mom saw the doctor Wednesday, who wants her to go back next week, and see a kidney specialist. My mom said she said there might be an infection. So, I'll have to wait to see what happens there.

I have a lot of guilt, even about things I really don't think I'm wrong for. I can't say to my mom to "get over it," even though, for some things, I think she should. I can do that with other people, just not her. She's 71.

When we end a phone call, she usually won't say, "I have to go"; instead, she asks, "Do you want me to let you go?" She can't even take responsibility for ending a call, except maybe if someone's at the door or there's some reason she has to get off quickly, because she doesn't want you to feel she doesn't want to talk to you.

I learned it's sometimes better to lie to her. When she asked what kind of magazine I was doing that database of addresses for, and I told her it was a magazine on prostitution, I learned it's better not to be honest with her all the time.