Part 3 of How We Got Here

Your Mama fell.  She can't remember if she blacked out.

Okay; here we frickin' go again.  What is happening?  She seems fine when I leave her.

Could it be the Mama Bear misses her Baby Bear???

I text Hubby because I'm afraid I'll start bawling if I hear his voice or have to explain that I'm heading back down to Mom-Town.  I have my "go-bag" packed already.  I washed those clothes and repacked them because well....this seems to be my life now.

Hubby is on his way home and we discuss options.  I tell him what I think I need to do.  He agrees.  We talk about lunch.  Yes, let's eat!  That always solves things.  Hello, Weight Watchers!

I arrive back at their house and there is Graini-Mom sitting not knowing what happened.  The Home Health care nurse arrives and takes vitals.  All is well but blood pressure is on the low side as it should be- she is on several different blood pressure meds due to the aneurysm ( I guess they still want her on the comatose side!).  Hmmm, could be why she fell.  At the Friday appointment, the internist said it is normal to have those black curtain feelings when we rise up quickly or when our blood pressure drops.  Don't worry if it happens once.  Worry if it happens every 10 minutes!!!

The Home Health Nurse gets Mom's little bag of medicines and puts them in a box labeled Monday-Sunday-- morning, noon, and evening.  Then she asks for a pill cutter.  Why? I inquire. She doesn't take half a pill, but there in her little bag of goodies is a stepdad medication.  The nurse didn't catch that Graini-Mom's name wasn't on the bottle!  I go ballistic (well, not really, but some suspicions are circulating again...could Graini-Mom be skipping meds or worse taking one of stepdads?)  He assures me she did not take that medication last night.  Okay. 

Both Stepdad and I realize Mom needs 24-7 care.  Someone needs to make sure she is taking her meds regularly.  Someone needs to make sure she is not up roaming around when she needs to rest.  Someone needs to make sure she drinks enough water.  Someone needs to....

I volunteer; on one condition; I monitor her at my childhood home.  I'm comfortable there and there are no steps or slick tile or little doggies under foot.  At least for now.  Sidebar: While trying to comb her hair before the nurse came, she was sitting on the side of the bed and little hyper dog (think Jack Russell terrier hyper!) was jumping and pushing on her back and thrusting her forward.  Oy Vey!

Stepdad agreed it was the best thing for now.  He would work on getting permanent 24-7 care for her and I would take her with me to help her get her sea legs back and gain strength and more importantly WATCH HER LIKE A HAWK!!!  Believe me, that is no easy task.  She won't sit still!

Saturday evening we all went out for dinner.  I am thankful that my step-brother came into town because the reality of it all came flooding to my stepdad and he was a bit weepy about it.  I was a bit weepy too.  Life is changing.

He told me he didn't want Graini-Mom going to church on Sunday.  She needed to rest.  I asked if he was sure; what if she woke up early enough and was steady?  Being in church and seeing her friends might be good for the soul.  We left it at that.

Sunday morning, Graini-Mom was up and at 'em and we went for breakfast (she is not normally a breakfast eater; ha ha! guess what? You are eating breakfast now, Graini-Mom!) and then to.....

The church was not as empty as it seems!  True Presbyterians sit on the back row!

 Church! and Yes; it was very good for both our souls.  We saw people I had not seen in years and we made plans for lunch dates with a few women.  The church was having a community lunch in the Fellowship Hall and we ate.  I'm not really sure what we did after that.  I seem to recall it had something to do with trying to get the dang TV/VCR/DVD hooked up so I could watch movies and not go stir crazy.

Some of you Grainiacs will remember this room. It hasn't changed in 30+ years!

That evening we celebrated a birthday with my father-in-law.  


 

You say I'm HOW old??? No way; I still climb trees!!!

Stepdad met us over there and we ate and talked and shared stories and Graini-Mom was happy to be with her hubby!  This is still so confusing for her but little by little the fog in her brain is starting to lift.  On OUR way home she noticed I passed the street to take her to hers and stepdad's house.  I reminded her we were staying at the other house and she was fine.  Thank you, Lord, for non-confrontations!

I can't speak for Graini-Mom, but it was a good day for Strawberry.