During the last two months, some life changing things happened that really changed my world.
One was my mother had a TIA. There's no preparation for such things. One day, everything is fine. The next, you're a stranger to someone that has lost their ability to speak coherently and comprehend anything you say. The good thing is that the damage is usually not permanent. The bad thing is that it seems to have accelerated the memory problems associated with aging.
Another thing was the loss of another brother. "Environmental Heat Exposure" is the official statement on the death certificate. Mother Nature's a bitch when it comes to such things. Even with a cell phone, and radio, he never had a chance. He was gone before he could call for help. It took over 12 hours to find him
Anyway, as time goes on, I'll have more blogs on my brothers and other things that will interrupt my usual snarky attitude. Right now, I'll stop at this point, so that I can get rid of some of the other thoughts that are scratching to escape.
Got here via the cheesemistress.
ReplyDeleteStrokes are strange things. A TIA is a stroke that completely resolves. If the symptoms don't resolve it's a stroke not a TIA. I've had four strokes and the symptoms can be difficult to explain to family members. I've concluded the best way to think of a stroke is as a head injury, which it is of sorts. Typical symptoms of a head injury are mood swings, difficulty with concentration, coordination, swallowing, memory problems, anxiety, depression, balance and other symptoms. I've had all of these symptoms except depression.
When I had my first stroke I went to the neurologist and she sat me down in her office and said "You're just crazy." I demanded she order an MRI which she did. Three weeks later she was reviewing the films on the view box. When she got to the second to the last film she exclaimed "Oh, you had a stroke." Very frustrating on my part as my family still does not understand my new limitations. Have patience with your mom.