…
Friday, I got a call saying mother was not doing well. I jumped back in the car (I think it was still warm.) and sped to Granbury. Meanwhile, the rehab center rushed her back to the hospital, where they performed the customary CAT scan, blood tests and reported as follows when I arrived. “Your mother has had another stroke. She is suffering from kidney failure, dehydration and sepsis. Her blood pressure was near single digits. We cannot treat the kidney failure here, so we will send her to Ft. Worth.”
After waiting another hour, the ambulance had not showed up. The smart and cute woman doctor in charge of the ER said, “We’ve waited as long as we can. Get the helicopter… “
“WHAT? You mean to tell me my 87 year-old mother is getting to ride in a helicopter?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“I suppose you will insist I go with her, just to keep her calm, eh?”
“No, we insist you drive carefully to the new hospital. Your mother will meet you there.”
“$%^&*(O,” I thought to myself. I returned to the room to break the news to my mother.
In the darkened room, my mom reached up and laid her hand on my shoulder. I was shaking as I bent over her bed, resting my arms on the rail at her side. (I could not stop laughing.)
She spoke in a weak whisper. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong, I replied. It is just that at 87 you are going for your first helicopter ride. I let a little jealousy slop over into my voice.
I cast my glance aside toward her face. She looked utterly shocked.
“On the good side, I got the doctor to agree to let you fly the last little bit of the trip.”
A wide grin covered her gaunt face. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the pillow, still smiling.
“I’ll see you in Ft. worth soon, Mom. Remember, I love you.”
“I love you too,” she whispered.
I walked out of the room and toward the parking lot. On the way, I passed a tall stranger carrying a flight helmet. He was muscular and bald, but sported a brush of red hair on his face.
“You the pilot,” I asked.
“Yup. What can I do for you?”
I told him “You can be extra careful and fast. Your passenger is my mother.
“Will do, sir.”
He and I turned and went our ways. After I fetched my jalopy from the lot, I saw him doing his pre-flight inspection. I was pleased to see him concentrating on his work.
Somehow, I knew this part of the adventure would work out all right. I drove back to Dallas. I was limp as a rag when I arrived home.
Then the phone rang. It was the Ft. Worth hospital. My mother arrived in good order and they were bedding her down in a critical care unit. I was free to sleep the sleep of the just for one night.
Tomorrow could wait.
…
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Fighting the Good Fight
…
My mother has never been shy. The stroke left her voice intact along with her opinions and her willingness to share them. Her hearing is gone, so she generally speaks only loud enough so she can hear what she is saying. The walls reverberate and the windows rattle in normal conversation.
“I hate this place. Get me out of here,” she exclaimed.
“But mom, this seems like a nice place. They cook for you and let you watch TV as much as you want. The nurses are very nice and the physical therapists are helping you get better each day. What is so terrible about it?”
“They served me oatmeal.”
“Hmm. It seems to me you served me oatmeal every morning until I graduated high school. You told me it was good for me. Maybe this is just Karma working itself out.”
On my way out, I checked with the staff. She has not been shy nor has she been easy to care for. I thought I sensed a bit of dread when two nurses entered her room to return her to her bed after a therapy session. Apparently, there have been issues. I got the same feeling from several sources. Still, everyone I met was friendly, cheerful, polite and competent. Poor souls.
Whatever else you might say about her, she is fighting the good fight wherever she finds it. I only wish she had some less well-meaning adversaries.
So, she may be down, but she seems far from out.
I believe I shall devote my afternoon to napping. God knows, I have earned it. I think of it as taking one for the whole team.
My mother has never been shy. The stroke left her voice intact along with her opinions and her willingness to share them. Her hearing is gone, so she generally speaks only loud enough so she can hear what she is saying. The walls reverberate and the windows rattle in normal conversation.
“I hate this place. Get me out of here,” she exclaimed.
“But mom, this seems like a nice place. They cook for you and let you watch TV as much as you want. The nurses are very nice and the physical therapists are helping you get better each day. What is so terrible about it?”
“They served me oatmeal.”
“Hmm. It seems to me you served me oatmeal every morning until I graduated high school. You told me it was good for me. Maybe this is just Karma working itself out.”
On my way out, I checked with the staff. She has not been shy nor has she been easy to care for. I thought I sensed a bit of dread when two nurses entered her room to return her to her bed after a therapy session. Apparently, there have been issues. I got the same feeling from several sources. Still, everyone I met was friendly, cheerful, polite and competent. Poor souls.
Whatever else you might say about her, she is fighting the good fight wherever she finds it. I only wish she had some less well-meaning adversaries.
So, she may be down, but she seems far from out.
I believe I shall devote my afternoon to napping. God knows, I have earned it. I think of it as taking one for the whole team.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Three Weeks with Mortality
It will be two weeks this coming Friday that I got the call. It was my mother’s voice, but slurred and with gaps. She struggled to make herself understood. It came out like this: “I’ve had a minor stroke and I am in the hospital in Granbury.”
I fell silent for a moment, trying to integrate what I heard. When my single brain cell finished processing, I said, “I’m on my way.” Five minutes later, I fired up the Bat mobile and aimed west. I felt it better taking the extra time to don trousers.
Less than an hour later, I arrived at the Granbury Medical Center and strode directly to mother’s room. My brother and his wife were there. They were somber.
I went to her side and grasped her hand. Bending low, I kissed her forehead and said, “I AM HERE MOM!” She is hearing challenged, y’know. She looked up at me and proclaimed her undying love for me, provided I “ get me the the Hell out of there in the next thirty minutes.”
“Wait here,” I said, “while I talk to the nurse.” The “wait here” part was a jest my Mom understood. I took it as a good sign.
The nurse said she seemed in good shape, considering. I deduced that the alternative, or bad shape, would have left her dead in her tracks. She was very lucky, so far.
I got the rundown. Cognitive abilities were okay. All limb movement was available, but her left side was uncoordinated and pitifully weak. The MRI showed this was the second of two strokes. The first occurred about six months earlier. We all recalled her slurred speech for a few days, but the she recovered. Waiting was all we could do now.
After three days, the hospital transferred her to a rehabilitation center recommended by my brother. I checked it out and it seems well equipped, clean and competently managed. I booked my Mom in for rehabilitation.
She is in rehab now and today she seems to be improving. I will catch up with more details in the next few days.
For now, I think I shall pour myself a glass of old Scotch whiskey and kick back. Tomorrow is another day.
:)
I fell silent for a moment, trying to integrate what I heard. When my single brain cell finished processing, I said, “I’m on my way.” Five minutes later, I fired up the Bat mobile and aimed west. I felt it better taking the extra time to don trousers.
Less than an hour later, I arrived at the Granbury Medical Center and strode directly to mother’s room. My brother and his wife were there. They were somber.
I went to her side and grasped her hand. Bending low, I kissed her forehead and said, “I AM HERE MOM!” She is hearing challenged, y’know. She looked up at me and proclaimed her undying love for me, provided I “ get me the the Hell out of there in the next thirty minutes.”
“Wait here,” I said, “while I talk to the nurse.” The “wait here” part was a jest my Mom understood. I took it as a good sign.
The nurse said she seemed in good shape, considering. I deduced that the alternative, or bad shape, would have left her dead in her tracks. She was very lucky, so far.
I got the rundown. Cognitive abilities were okay. All limb movement was available, but her left side was uncoordinated and pitifully weak. The MRI showed this was the second of two strokes. The first occurred about six months earlier. We all recalled her slurred speech for a few days, but the she recovered. Waiting was all we could do now.
After three days, the hospital transferred her to a rehabilitation center recommended by my brother. I checked it out and it seems well equipped, clean and competently managed. I booked my Mom in for rehabilitation.
She is in rehab now and today she seems to be improving. I will catch up with more details in the next few days.
For now, I think I shall pour myself a glass of old Scotch whiskey and kick back. Tomorrow is another day.
:)
Thursday, February 10, 2011
No Parent Left Behind
The following came from my cousin Jerry. After reading, I fear education is in worse shape than I originally thought.
I promise you cannot read these and not laugh (or cry -hb) out loud.
These are real notes written by parents in the Memphis school district .
Spellings have been left intact......
1. My son is under a doctor's care and should not take PE today. Please execute him.
2. Please exkuce Lisa for being absent she was sick and I had her shot.
3. Dear school: please ecsc's john being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and also 33.
4. Please excuse Gloria from Jim today. She is administrating.
5. Please excuse Roland from p.e. For a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.
6. John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.
7. Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing part.
8. Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins.
9. Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.
10. Please excuse ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels.
11. Please excuse Lesli from being absent yesterday. She Had diahre dyrea direathe the shits.
12. Please excuse tommy for being absent yesterday.. He had diarrhea, and his boots leak.
13. Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.
14. Please excuse jimmy for being. It was his father's fault.
15. I kept Billie home because she had to go Chris tmas shopping because I don't know what size she wear.
16. Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday. We thought it was Sunday.
17. Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral.
18. My daughter was absent yesterday because she was tired. She spent a weekend with the marines.
19. Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well.
20. Please excuse Mary for being absent yesterday. She was in bed with gramps.
21. Gloria was absent yesterday as she was having a gangover.
22. Please excuse Brenda. She has been sick and under the doctor.
23. Maryann was absent December 11-16, because she had a fever, Sorethroat, headache and upset stomach. Her sister was also sick, fever an sore throat , her brother had a low grade fever and ached all over. I wasn't the best either, sore throat and fever. There must be something going around, her father even got hot last night.
Now we know why parents are screaming for better education for our kids.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Life between the Ice Sheets
...
Hey! This is a service to my north Texas friends without windows who still have access to a computer. First, DO NOT GO OUTSIDE! It is colder than a witch's heart out there. Ice is all over the ground. Again. A light snow covers most of the ice. The wind gusts over 25 mph and it could blow your Toyota Pious off the road and into a ditch. Then where would you be, eh?
So, stay indoors. Keep warm and wait for a better day. I think Valentine's Day will be better than today. I hope.
Hank
...
Hey! This is a service to my north Texas friends without windows who still have access to a computer. First, DO NOT GO OUTSIDE! It is colder than a witch's heart out there. Ice is all over the ground. Again. A light snow covers most of the ice. The wind gusts over 25 mph and it could blow your Toyota Pious off the road and into a ditch. Then where would you be, eh?
So, stay indoors. Keep warm and wait for a better day. I think Valentine's Day will be better than today. I hope.
Hank
...
Rule of Law
...
It seems we in the good old U.S. of A. have every sort of problem. I shall not list the gloomy circumstances faced by us all. Still, we seem to have unlimited energy to use Egypt’s current unrest to fill our news reports. I would think tending our own knitting might be a wiser choice.
Besides, where do we get off sitting in judgment? Our record does not justify our favoring one side or the other.
Finally, what is with the Administration backing the tens of thousands of protesters in Cairo? Does that mean if we organize a mob of, say, 2,000,000 to camp on the Whitehouse doorstep, that would justify changing our government? What about the elections? Are they too inconvenient?
I read in a history book that once upon a time, WWI veterans camped out in Washington D.C. They were protesting the economic depression and urging the Congress to approve their service bonuses early. They were unemployed, hungry and hopeless. What happened? The President, Hoover, I think, sent General Douglas MacArthur and the U.S. Army to scatter the “protesters” using any force necessary. What would happen if a similar gathering took place in Washington today? I wonder if the Secretary of State and President would extol the virtues of the protesters and capitulate, or would they demonize them as a treasonous mob bent on destruction of the country.
I do not have the answer. I simply believe it is an interesting question.
You are welcome to let me know what you think.
...
It seems we in the good old U.S. of A. have every sort of problem. I shall not list the gloomy circumstances faced by us all. Still, we seem to have unlimited energy to use Egypt’s current unrest to fill our news reports. I would think tending our own knitting might be a wiser choice.
Besides, where do we get off sitting in judgment? Our record does not justify our favoring one side or the other.
Finally, what is with the Administration backing the tens of thousands of protesters in Cairo? Does that mean if we organize a mob of, say, 2,000,000 to camp on the Whitehouse doorstep, that would justify changing our government? What about the elections? Are they too inconvenient?
I read in a history book that once upon a time, WWI veterans camped out in Washington D.C. They were protesting the economic depression and urging the Congress to approve their service bonuses early. They were unemployed, hungry and hopeless. What happened? The President, Hoover, I think, sent General Douglas MacArthur and the U.S. Army to scatter the “protesters” using any force necessary. What would happen if a similar gathering took place in Washington today? I wonder if the Secretary of State and President would extol the virtues of the protesters and capitulate, or would they demonize them as a treasonous mob bent on destruction of the country.
I do not have the answer. I simply believe it is an interesting question.
You are welcome to let me know what you think.
...
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Goodgoshamighty!
…
It is colder ’n a well digger’s [bottom] in the Yukon! The temperature has struggled up to 25 from 9 or 10 early this morning. Judging by the television reports (and I have watched a LOT of TV this week) the entire planet is under an inch or two of ice, except for Egypt. In Egypt, they are having a rock fight in downtown Cairo. At least they are warm.
The ice came Monday night. I have been frozen in since then. If anyone finds this note, tell my friends and relatives I thought of them as I went stark raving.
Texans are world renowned for their driving skills on ice, and not in a good way. Dallas is home to half a million commuters and I bet there were 600,000 accidents on Monday. It has gotten better since then. I guess everyone either wised up and stayed home or is in the hospital recovering from multiple auto accidents.
Personally, I have only one complaint. Since the storm arrived around midnight, I missed my chance to go to the store and lay in a supply of cakes, pies, cookies and candies for the occasion. Now, the fact that everything in the house is “good for me” just adds to the cabin fever.
The local weather idiot promises a thaw for Saturday and Sunday. I hope he is right. I shudder to think about 100,000 anti-freeze filled souls jamming the icy roads to see the Super Bowl. The carnage would be awful.
Okay, after the snow we are supposed to get tonight melts and the snow we are supposed to get next week melts; I think everything will be okay after that.
See you in the spring!
…
It is colder ’n a well digger’s [bottom] in the Yukon! The temperature has struggled up to 25 from 9 or 10 early this morning. Judging by the television reports (and I have watched a LOT of TV this week) the entire planet is under an inch or two of ice, except for Egypt. In Egypt, they are having a rock fight in downtown Cairo. At least they are warm.
The ice came Monday night. I have been frozen in since then. If anyone finds this note, tell my friends and relatives I thought of them as I went stark raving.
Texans are world renowned for their driving skills on ice, and not in a good way. Dallas is home to half a million commuters and I bet there were 600,000 accidents on Monday. It has gotten better since then. I guess everyone either wised up and stayed home or is in the hospital recovering from multiple auto accidents.
Personally, I have only one complaint. Since the storm arrived around midnight, I missed my chance to go to the store and lay in a supply of cakes, pies, cookies and candies for the occasion. Now, the fact that everything in the house is “good for me” just adds to the cabin fever.
The local weather idiot promises a thaw for Saturday and Sunday. I hope he is right. I shudder to think about 100,000 anti-freeze filled souls jamming the icy roads to see the Super Bowl. The carnage would be awful.
Okay, after the snow we are supposed to get tonight melts and the snow we are supposed to get next week melts; I think everything will be okay after that.
See you in the spring!
…
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