Wow - should I even post
Well - Since my Mom's open heart surgery until now I should have (but didn't) post. I can't even remember how long ago it was when she even had the surgery - it seems more like a distant event compared to what we are facing now. With the stroke - hmm when was that - oh the Friday I was at Graves it seems like years have past. Every day I get up and get dressed without coffee - I can hardly believe I do that and drive to the hospital to get her dressed for the day - even though I lay out her clothes and try to explain that the therapy people or nurses can help her too she just doesn't understand and sits there in her jammies until I get there - so I guess the sleeping in thing is over - of course only until she realizes someone else can help her and it's not a conspiracy. I guess I am just at the age when the time has finally come to take care of your parents. With my Dad when he had cancer, his wife was so there that now it seems so unfair to her - now that I can relate to what she went through on a daily basis, I feel really bad. And today would have been (except for a divorce at the 25 year mark) my parents 43 wedding anniversary. Isnt it strange that my Mom brought that up today during our daily walk - I wonder if there is some hidden meaning, to remember that info and not what she did yesterday. Strange. We found out yesterday that she will be in the Rehabilitation Unit until July 6th - so OATS is out for me - I need to give her something else to look forward to since our original "family" vacation plan was four days in Kentucky then a caravan to OATS. My sister and I are both holding off on vacation until we can do something together as planned. We decided on the World's Longest Yard Sale (www.127sale.com). A 450 mile Yard Sale running from the Ohio border to Alabama - going straight through Kentucky on Route 127. My Mom LOVES yard sales so we figured this would be good - a good goal. My Mom is so funny and I hate to say that, since she has no clue due to the stroke - but I call her the little Rain Man - not to be disrespectful - but most answers to questions are something like "yea". and that's it. I was happy to see her requesting books that she likes and working on a word find and admitting that she needs to work on her brain. That is huge with stroke patients - understanding the problem. But every once in awhile she goes back to the conspiracy theory and that all her therapists are against her and one in particular - Nanette - is out to get her and she's the one that is keeping her from going home. Poor Nanette - she's a very nice lady - a bit strange looking - but tough - and it's almost like my Mom and her are the same personality so I can see the conflict. But Nanette can do the job and I talk to her everyday and we finally got a "goal book". So now I can get the scoop on the therapy and what progress is being made and what needs to be worked on "off therapy hours". I stopped going over for lunch since I moved my office into my Mom's house - I actually work during the day - I told my Mom I am weening myself off of her - she doesn't get it - she calls 10 times in a few hours and I have to explain again. But we do our arm and hand exercises every day and I try to keep reinforcing the "use your anger to get better" method - but Nanette says she doesn't get it - she will but just not now. So the little Rain Man is recovering but slowly and she's mad - I guess that's good. Hopefully this is an answer to something - in the "Everything happens for a reason" theory - I just wish I knew.......... ta ta for now - I'll keep you posted......