My Mother and her brother just a couple weeks ago |
My mother who lives next door to me in the house where I grew-up and has lived her life without dad around since 1990. She has been able to out-garden me, out-run me, out-work me in every way and January 27th things were not the same. Marnie's little girls went to see Grandma Boby after she had driven home from the market. Kenna and Preslee are 5 and 3 respectively and their grandma was delighted to show them how to open pistachios in the cowboy room of the big stone house. My Marnie's family lives in the mansion just down Wellman Way on our same ranch and Marnie was hesitant about letting the girls go down the driveway because she thought Grandma Boby would be tired this late in the afternoon, but she let them go. This was truly an inspiration from God.
Steve and I had planned on getting a gift for my sister for her birthday, but it was really hot, about 80 degrees. Never better weather to be able to wash our dog and the horse. The horse was easier, actually. I went inside to take a shower and remove fleas. Just as I had gotten dressed, my little grand daughters came inside and said, "Something is very wrong with Grandma Boby, your mom, your mom." I looked outside and sure enough the ambulance and the fire engine were at my mom's house. Kenna has already ran and got her mother Marnie, to "Marathon Book-it" to see what happened to their great-grandma. Marnie had already called 911 and my Steve was already there and helping. My mother left so fast on a gurney mumbling something lik she wasn't going over and over and the firemen and ambulance crew whisked her away. She was going. Grandma Boby had just slumped-over and the little ones had thought she was choking. Preslee stayed to watch her while Kenna did the running.
Our Little Heroes |
Miracle Marnie Saves Me, too |
Our Hospital Decisions Made With Prayer |
I sat down with her as they administered the dose recommended by Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara. Less then the usual dosage 2/3 the amount and the druggist had come to the hospital to mix the concoction himself. The shelf life is 10 minutes and the time to give her the medication was running-out. The nurse was so nervous giving the dosage. She said I don't want to do this and she read, and reread, and reread the directions and then started counting. The dosage was given over one minute. Mom said, "I'm going to die, I'm going to die" I said, "You coulda' died giving birth to any of us kids." and Marnie piped-up and said, "You coulda' died at the market or crashed on the way home." Mom moved her toe and then her foot. This was opposite side from where the stroke had attacked her brain. "Left Neglect" but she was moving. Miracles were happening and we were all witnessing it. The nurse flew after the doctor like a chicken flapping their wings all through the ER. Calls were made and a helicopter was coming in to land in 5 minutes. The doctor who had no faith, said it was a miracle. Marnie was thoughtful enough to thank him and he shared that he was overwhelmed by all that was happening.
My Mother is Going To Cottage Hospital |
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital |
"Its not the design of heaven that we be rescued from all difficult situations. rather, it is the Lord's will that we learn to handle them." Elder Bednar
My family was coming from Central California and my sister was there in Santa Barbara with us. As we could see she was in good hands and we went home after the Dr. Zouner talked to us. I read the Book of Mormon to the end that evening and had great comfort too from knowing so many were already praying for her recovery. Her name had been placed on the rolls of many temples. I suppose one would have been enough.
We sat with her with my family taking turns in with her and the next day and on January 29th I wrote in my journal: "My mother had a more severe stroke than expected and the latest MRI revealed that she had too much swelling to proceed with the two procedures. I admire the doctor to stop and go with caution with more study and familiarize himself with exactly when and how to proceed. Gotta' love that, when he is one of the top brain surgeons in the world. Dr. Zouner is fantastic. Our fasting and prayers were answered and very successful because it would have caused a hemorrhage to go in at this time and my mother's chances would have been very different than expected. I was baffled by the sudden change in plans, when even the nurse at the surgery desk has mom in the operating room. We know that God is guiding. I'm so thankful for everything! My faith is uplifted, my hope is continuing and this sure seems like it's been a very long time BTW She still thinks she's either in Santa Paula or Oxnard and we are making a joke--just because she would do the same thing. The nurse took out her cannula (air thingy out of her nose) and she faked lack of oxygen attack "I can't breathe, I can't breathe" hahahah... Nurse wasn't amused! We all giggled. AND she shouldn't do that!"
My mother honestly doesn't think she flew in a helicopter or is in Santa Barbara at all.
Recently news was that the last MRI didn't reveal a hidden killer because her skull is just so thick. I always knew that and could have told them she was "hard-headed" An angioplasty or exploratory surgery did show that unrelated aneurysm is in the deep part of her brain. The aneurysm was shrouded and lethal, but in a reachable part. She has blockage in two of her main arteries and when one of her arteries is unblocked the surgeon will reach-up and use a coil and take away the aneurysm. The wait on this will be a couple weeks so that her brain can still heal from the turmoil that it has been through this past week.
Yesterday, I sat and watched TV with her and laughed with her as we watched Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston on Ophra. We watched kick-boxing and I suffered through that thinking she was watching it then she pointed and said those two out there--meaning at the nurses station, were flirting with each other and the view from her room was in full view of the nurses budding romance. She said it was much more interesting than TV. It had been more than an hour and I thought she had a new favorite TV show. "Reality Hospital" like Grey's Anatomy in the SICU at Santa Barbara Hospital. My mother found that funny and very entertaining.
Already today, she was transferred to the Rehabilitation Hospital just next to this hospital. She walks, she talks, and grabs my hand with such force that she made my hand bleed with her nail. It's all working but she still doesn't recognize her arm...but she's making it work all the same. I know it takes great concentration, but she's coming back.
How appropriate that today is the day to raise awareness of heart problems in women. I wore sparkly RED to celebrate the power of women bonding together to wipe-out heart disease and stroke.
I wanted a picture of me in RED, so I called Steve and he answered hesitantly. I thought he was in a meeting and he said he was in the ER. Yelling, I said, "OH CRAP!" Steve still quietly said, "It's what I do." I later met them down a local diner for lunch. A call came and unfortunately Steve grabbed my car keys and left me there at the diner. FIREMEN! I had my phone, my car, and no car keys. My Marnie to the rescue again. We found the firetruck clear-up the canyon past Steckel Park. The firemen and truck were saving a severed "PIPE" by the side of the road. I didn't get to see my mother today, but as a good grandma would do, I took my daughter and her sweet little ones to a frozen yogurt place for a good deed... rewarded.
My Husband and His Crew Saving Lives and Pipes |
ADDED ONLY 9 DAYS AFTER THE MASSIVE STROKE:
My dear mother is in Rehab, sheesh, that sounds like drug rehab. But here she is doing great and will for sure be able to be on her own and at this rate she's going we will all be "hard-pressed" to keep-up with her.
2 comments:
Thank you for the post Mom. I didn't know about a lot of what went on. So many blessing among a very sad and scary time. I love you!
You are such a wonderful writer. I am glad that you are doing so well. Your blog entry was amazing to read mother! I love you!
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