Last Wednesday evening. June 12, my sister called. She arrived home around 9:15 to find my mother on the kitchen floor in an awkward position and nonresponsive. She asked for me to come out and try to pick her up. I said I would be out but call 911 immediately. Interestingly, my mother called me around 8:45 or so.
The ambulance got to her home just a few minutes after I arrived. She was taken to the hospital where it was determined she had had a bad stroke. She couldn’t move her limbs or speak at all. She didn’t recognize myself and my sister. A specialist came on a screen, and it was decided to offer her special stroke medicine. This medicine had to be administered within four hours and by this time three hours had elapsed.
The nurse would continually request her to smile and raise her arms and legs. Prior to two in the morning, we were seeing positive results. She was transferred to Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, Pennsylvania.
Every visit would see improvements, but her speaking was sometimes slurred a bit, but overall, we could understand maybe seventy-five percent of her speech.
It was very difficult for me to see my mother in these conditions. However, I realize at 94 and a half years of age anything could happen. She was to be transferred to a rehab unit.
As I was typing this entry, (June 18) the phone rang and Forbes said her therapy went very well and a transfer to Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania or locally here in Kittanning were possibilities. Insurance and authorization issues always are a problem to deal with.
Hopefully, sometime today, my mother will be transferred to either of these faculties where friends and family can be more readily available to visit.
UPDATE: Mom, as of this afternoon, went to Allegheny Valley Hospital to begin rehab.
My prayers are with your mom and your family
Thank you John…
Prayers for you and your Mom .
Thank you Dave.