Friday, October 22, 2004
EARLY FALL....1981
Uncle Tom called on September 11th to tell us that mom was in the hospital. She had complained of chest pains the day before and was short of breath. They took her to the Emergency Room…her blood pressure was high…194/104. She was checked over good, her ECG was fairly normal….she was given medication and sent back “home.” She was no better the morning of the 11th so they took her back to the doctor and was sent on to the hospital.
I called when I got home from work and she seemed OK but weak. She remained in the hospital for several more days and I called regularly to check on her condition. On the 17th uncle Buster called to tell us mom had a heart attack at 4:00am, was in intensive care and barely hanging on. We started packing the minute I was off the phone and made plans to leave for Nebraska the next day.
Mom had a stroke along with a heart attack. She felt bad during the night and got out of bed to go to the bathroom, the stroke occurred and she fell to the floor, remaining unconscious several hours before she was discovered. They put her in ICU and she was there when we arrived. She was ashen and weak…couldn’t talk but did respond to questions by nodding yes or no. She did fairly well if I didn’t make my inquiries too long or complicated, at which time she would become confused. We stayed with her until they told us we needed to leave.
Mom had a bad spell during the night with rapid heart rate. The doctor had been called and worked with her 3-hours to get her pulse back to normal. I spent the entire day with her but she slept a lot and kept her eyes closed most of the time…holding her hand “told” her that I was there. She took only a few teaspoons of broth and gagged with the pills she had to take….she chocked easily and had difficulty swallowing. I stayed until leaving time….8:30pm.
She was stable through the night and seemed a little more alert….communicated by squeezing my hand once for yes, twice for no. She moved her legs a little and could say, “un-huh.” She was able to drink more water but still had very little nourishment. Her doctor lowered one of her medications in hopes that she would be able to get by with less. Her heart rate picked up and from 5:30pm until 10:00pm and he battled to stabilize her. I left once she was resting but was fearful and discouraged. I didn’t see how mom’s heart could stand much more battering. I wasn’t alone…..the doctor was worried as well.
This went on for days. Two steps forward, one back. Our hopes would rise and fall with each gain or set-back. I sat at her bed holding her hand for days. Finally, she began responding to things around her….the nurses got her up in a chair so she could look out the window….very good medicine for mom. She loved nature and being outdoors so it was a treat. Little by little her eating progressed to the point she was on solid food and feeding herself. It was slow going but she didn’t spill food and was a clean little eater.
I needed to get back home to work. The guys had covered for me and I had been gone 10-days. Mom was improving so we came home on Monday, I worked my three days, and on Friday we drove back to Blair. We had the drive down to an exact 10-hours either way. I needed to give mom’s sister’s a break from being at the hospital every day so for the next 2-days I stayed with mom from early morning until late at night. We both helped clean house for aunt Mary since she had been away so much.
I felt so much better after this trip. Mom tried to communicate more and got enough words out at a time so we could piece together what she was talking about. It was almost like a game of charades. Mom’s coloring was coming back and she seemed content. Our trips continued each week. I would work my three days, come home and pack, we would drive all the next day….stay two days at the hospital and drive home the next day to go to work. I found a way to save the time in the car by knitting Christmas TV slippers for most of the family as well as knit on afghans.
Things looked better for mom and I was hoping she could leave the hospital soon. When I called aunt Mary later, after we were home, she said mom had another light stroke at 3:00pm…speech not good nor movement of her left arm or leg. I called Louis to tell him he’d better come because mom’s condition was very fragile. He said he would make immediate arrangements to catch a flight to Omaha the next day…I looked forward to seeing him…….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
I called when I got home from work and she seemed OK but weak. She remained in the hospital for several more days and I called regularly to check on her condition. On the 17th uncle Buster called to tell us mom had a heart attack at 4:00am, was in intensive care and barely hanging on. We started packing the minute I was off the phone and made plans to leave for Nebraska the next day.
Mom had a stroke along with a heart attack. She felt bad during the night and got out of bed to go to the bathroom, the stroke occurred and she fell to the floor, remaining unconscious several hours before she was discovered. They put her in ICU and she was there when we arrived. She was ashen and weak…couldn’t talk but did respond to questions by nodding yes or no. She did fairly well if I didn’t make my inquiries too long or complicated, at which time she would become confused. We stayed with her until they told us we needed to leave.
Mom had a bad spell during the night with rapid heart rate. The doctor had been called and worked with her 3-hours to get her pulse back to normal. I spent the entire day with her but she slept a lot and kept her eyes closed most of the time…holding her hand “told” her that I was there. She took only a few teaspoons of broth and gagged with the pills she had to take….she chocked easily and had difficulty swallowing. I stayed until leaving time….8:30pm.
She was stable through the night and seemed a little more alert….communicated by squeezing my hand once for yes, twice for no. She moved her legs a little and could say, “un-huh.” She was able to drink more water but still had very little nourishment. Her doctor lowered one of her medications in hopes that she would be able to get by with less. Her heart rate picked up and from 5:30pm until 10:00pm and he battled to stabilize her. I left once she was resting but was fearful and discouraged. I didn’t see how mom’s heart could stand much more battering. I wasn’t alone…..the doctor was worried as well.
This went on for days. Two steps forward, one back. Our hopes would rise and fall with each gain or set-back. I sat at her bed holding her hand for days. Finally, she began responding to things around her….the nurses got her up in a chair so she could look out the window….very good medicine for mom. She loved nature and being outdoors so it was a treat. Little by little her eating progressed to the point she was on solid food and feeding herself. It was slow going but she didn’t spill food and was a clean little eater.
I needed to get back home to work. The guys had covered for me and I had been gone 10-days. Mom was improving so we came home on Monday, I worked my three days, and on Friday we drove back to Blair. We had the drive down to an exact 10-hours either way. I needed to give mom’s sister’s a break from being at the hospital every day so for the next 2-days I stayed with mom from early morning until late at night. We both helped clean house for aunt Mary since she had been away so much.
I felt so much better after this trip. Mom tried to communicate more and got enough words out at a time so we could piece together what she was talking about. It was almost like a game of charades. Mom’s coloring was coming back and she seemed content. Our trips continued each week. I would work my three days, come home and pack, we would drive all the next day….stay two days at the hospital and drive home the next day to go to work. I found a way to save the time in the car by knitting Christmas TV slippers for most of the family as well as knit on afghans.
Things looked better for mom and I was hoping she could leave the hospital soon. When I called aunt Mary later, after we were home, she said mom had another light stroke at 3:00pm…speech not good nor movement of her left arm or leg. I called Louis to tell him he’d better come because mom’s condition was very fragile. He said he would make immediate arrangements to catch a flight to Omaha the next day…I looked forward to seeing him…….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
