My mom had a stroke, we think, sometime on Wednesday. One of my brothers called Thursday night at about 8:30pm all agitated telling me that Mom had sounded odd on the phone when he'd just spoken to her. He's out of town, so Gary and I ran over there and found her standing in the kitchen doorway, seemingly frozen in place. We gradually got her into bed, but it took about 15 minutes. Long story short, Gary called an ambulance, got her admitted finally, but the ER doctor thought she'd just had a TIA. Wrong. It was a full-blown stroke in her brain stem, left-side, which has resulted in her right side being very weak, but thankfully not paralyzed. Her speech difficulty is her biggest hurdle. And getting her blood pressure down which was dreadfully high when the EMTs came to her house.
The hard part today was her still not being hooked to an IV, and not having had nourishment since Wednesday (I have no clue what took so long---Gary and I both ended up badgering the head nurse, who in turn had to keep calling the main doctor). Her stomach had been upset then at home, thinking she had a sinus infection or a bug, but maybe it was just the precursor of the stroke. What do I know? Her tongue won't cooperate and she can't swallow well, so she has to have an IV. And she's trying so hard to talk. It just breaks my heart.
My mind is flying everywhere.
And this afternoon the neurologist told me that the left carotid artery in her neck is completely blocked, and all the blood flow is coming from the right side. Apparently he's talked to a neurosurgeon about it. I felt the floor drop underneath me when he told me. It scares me. She's 84, very weak and not able to sit up for long, not to mention she can't stand.
But I'm grateful most of all for the way we were able to talk today. To cry together and just forgive one another. Hear me when I say that personal grievances are useless. They profit no one. Seeing her so ill is a wake-up call. I just wish I could back up and fix all of the pain, but as Gary says, it's not my fault. I didn't manufacture all the grief we caused one another. But I did take part, and I was able to apologize to her for that. And 'bout damn time.
Thanks to those of you who are already praying.
That verse came to my mind when I left the hospital at about 9 last night. Gary was staying with Mom a second night and I didn't understand where he'd parked the truck. I just walked into the parking lot and prayed for the Lord to take me to it. Just me and Him. And He led me straight to the truck. I'm thinking crystal-clear pain cuts to the chase in our communication with the Lord. Nothing's in the way. Just need.
And the strong belief that, as I told Bonnie, the spirit world is so active in a hospital. Think about that one. The place is backed up with angelic intervention. I find that overwhelming. If you stop and think about it, it'll take your breath away.
The hard part today was her still not being hooked to an IV, and not having had nourishment since Wednesday (I have no clue what took so long---Gary and I both ended up badgering the head nurse, who in turn had to keep calling the main doctor). Her stomach had been upset then at home, thinking she had a sinus infection or a bug, but maybe it was just the precursor of the stroke. What do I know? Her tongue won't cooperate and she can't swallow well, so she has to have an IV. And she's trying so hard to talk. It just breaks my heart.
My mind is flying everywhere.
And this afternoon the neurologist told me that the left carotid artery in her neck is completely blocked, and all the blood flow is coming from the right side. Apparently he's talked to a neurosurgeon about it. I felt the floor drop underneath me when he told me. It scares me. She's 84, very weak and not able to sit up for long, not to mention she can't stand.
But I'm grateful most of all for the way we were able to talk today. To cry together and just forgive one another. Hear me when I say that personal grievances are useless. They profit no one. Seeing her so ill is a wake-up call. I just wish I could back up and fix all of the pain, but as Gary says, it's not my fault. I didn't manufacture all the grief we caused one another. But I did take part, and I was able to apologize to her for that. And 'bout damn time.
Thanks to those of you who are already praying.
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."~from 2 Corinthians 12:9
That verse came to my mind when I left the hospital at about 9 last night. Gary was staying with Mom a second night and I didn't understand where he'd parked the truck. I just walked into the parking lot and prayed for the Lord to take me to it. Just me and Him. And He led me straight to the truck. I'm thinking crystal-clear pain cuts to the chase in our communication with the Lord. Nothing's in the way. Just need.
And the strong belief that, as I told Bonnie, the spirit world is so active in a hospital. Think about that one. The place is backed up with angelic intervention. I find that overwhelming. If you stop and think about it, it'll take your breath away.
