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| Low Clouds hugging the coast range |
My sister celebrated her birthday on January 2nd and went out to dinner with her family and brought my mom as well. It was all going so well. My mom was in fine spirits and had just been holding her great-grandson on her lap, while waiting for dinner to be served. Suddenly, she said she felt hot and not well. She started to shout in the small restaurant, "I'm sick. I feel sick. I think I'm dying." Then she passed out, right there at the restaurant with her head on the table, just like that. An ambulance was called. Turns out that with the flu epidemic, there wasn't a single hospital bed available in a 20 mile radius, so she had to travel a bit further north to an ER in a hospital she's never been in before. After many hours in ER, she was admitted. They weren't quite sure what was going on. First possibilities discussed: pneumonia or congestive heart failure.
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| Dim winter light in the afternoon |
By January 3rd, my siblings and I were still wondering what was going on. The hospital staff were narrowing it down to some malfunction with my mom's pacemaker. As of this writing, we still don't have an actual diagnosis or plan.
To say this beginning to 2018 didn't quite measure up to my very low threshold of a dream would be an understatement.
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| Full moon rising above a neighbor's rooftop |
We did get to watch the full moon rise on January 1st and take some walks on January 2nd, before the deluge.
The other day, I wrote on Facebook that my mom used to say to me when I was young, "Tell me who your friends are, and I'll tell you what you're like." When I read your comments, I feel very lucky to be among such kind-hearted, good-humored, compassionate and mindful humans. Thank you thank you all for your truly wonderful and uplifting comments on my end of 2017 post.
There is a little song I sing sometimes and it makes my wife smile when I do if she is feeling a little low. "Always Look on the bright side of life"
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHPOzQzk9Qo
And just to make you feel better have a read of this blog
http://prunellapepperpot.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/missingtoe-mistletoe-mouse.html
I can only wish you all the best for 2018 and pray things look up for you.
Least you have not had to put up with the storms we had in the last few days
Bill-- Thank you so much for the links. That "Always look on the bright side of life" made me laugh out. I was not expecting that. Thank you! Happy New Year to you and your wife!
DeleteSending love and holding a good thought for your family. My mom used to say the same thing.
ReplyDelete37paddington-- Thank you for your love and good thoughts. I love knowing that your mom said those words too.
DeleteOh, yikes! I'm so sorry to hear about your mom! What a strange mystery. I hope they can sort out the problem. That must have been terrifying for your sister.
ReplyDeleteAs for miracles, we DO have the spectacle of Donald Trump attacking Steve Bannon and vice versa. That's pretty entertaining and can't help but improve the lot of the Trump opposition!
Steve-- As of this writing, my mom was released a short while ago. She is on her way back to the facility. More specialist doctor appointments in her future. I agree about the miracle of the Trump/Bannon spectacle. I want lots more of that!
DeleteWow, that had to have been scary for all. How sad that she couldn't get into the closest hospital. I am so sorry that they hadn't found a cause as of this post but hope that has changed now. Not knowing is the worst. Sending warm thoughts that she is much better. Let us know.
ReplyDeletePatti-- I just spoke with my sister who was on her way home with my mom in the car. My mom has fluid in her lungs, but needed to be referred to a pulmonary specialist because of prescription complications. Thank you for your warm thoughts
DeleteThinking of you and roger and your mother and your family with much loving kindness. The caring community that meets here is a treasure. That's for sure. Love the four birds high in the sky above the low clouds and the full moon rising. It has stayed just above or just below freezing here for awhile now with no snow, while the flock of Red-winged blackbirds sings loudly, moving between the tops of various leafless cottonwood trees. Two of them are visiting my porch right now.
ReplyDeleteam-- Interesting that you mentioned those four birds because on this day we had the most amazing bird experiences. Huge flocks of Willets and Godwits were flying around from one marsh pond to the bay. We were standing and watching them when they suddenly headed in our direction flying not very high above our heads. We stood there absolutely mesmerized by the sound of their wings as they split in formation around us. It was wild! I love the sound of Red-winged blackbirds. Thank you for your kind thoughts.
DeleteSo sorry for this and hope the doctors can figure out what's happening.
ReplyDeleteRain-- My mom is going to see a pulmonary specialist and an interventionist radiologist. Not sure what's going on, and it's complicated.
DeleteOh Robin, what a sad thing to happen. My thoughts are with you, hoping the doctors will be able to help your mother get better.
ReplyDeleteSabine-- We are waiting to hear what the pulmonary doc thinks. She had an appointment this afternoon. I'll keep you posted.
DeleteAn old friend dropped by the other day and we talked a bit about her mom,who is in her 80's. My friend said her mom's been on a roller coaster here as she is winding down her life. Still mentally acute, and she is ready to go, but doesn't qualify for hospice. It gets very complicated. And like another friend observed, it is so unfair that people, after living a good life, can't go peacefully.
ReplyDeleteSend me some healing thoughts, by the way. My arm is still hurting after a,dog attack
last Tuesday. Life is hard sometimes, at any point, yes?
isabelita-- Oh, it's the "going peacefully" that is so hard to accomplish these days. So many interventions and so many ways to extend life. I think we all have to carefully plan for the future, if you know what I mean. My mom can't request assisted suicide even if she wanted to, Alzheimer's rules that out. Absolutely sending you healing thoughts. Really so sorry to hear about that attack. Oy. Life is hard sometimes, yes... at any point. Take care there, my friend.
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