"If They Want Me To Get Well, Why Do They Want to Make Me Mad?"

That was Mom's question Sunday evening when reminded of her appointments for Monday and Tuesday this week.

My answer: "That's how they tell you're still alive."

Her response: "They should leave me alone and just guess."

Mom actually had a pretty good weekend. A fair amount of energy and the ability and desire to get up and around the house a bit. She's been going to bed an hour earlier which may be helping. A friend of hers form her old ceramics classes stopped by on Sunday. The woman, Ruthie, had called earlier but neither of them could hear the other on the phone so she just showed up on our front step. They had a nice visit for about twenty minutes or so and Mom was really animated.

Mom's second grandson, Dan, called from Iraq Monday afternoon. He'd called Sunday night but Mom had gone to bed early so he and I talked for awhile and he tried again Monday. He's part of the 50,000 "non-combat" troops still there. He's up in Kurdistan, going on patrol "arresting" bad guys. Technically the Army does the "arresting and he's Navy, but he speaks Arabic ("What's your name?", "What are you doing?", "Lie face down.", "Eat gravel.", the sorts of things that will be totally useless if he ever goes touristing in Egypt or Morocco) so he's the official translator. When he hung up I said, "Wow. A phone call all the way from Iraq! How about that?" Mom said, "Considering what's going on over there, I really don't want phone calls from Iraq." She wants Dan back here in the States.

When the home health nurse asked her questions, she got the date and year wrong, although she knew Obama is president. She also knows she wants her grandson back from Iraq. I'd say her mind is holding the important stuff just fine.

A Question of Timing

The nice young woman from Home Health Services came by Thursday. Mom was very nervous about her visit.

The nurse was scheduled to come by at noon. The night before, Mom told me she didn't think the nurse would show up because she'd told Mom on the phone that she'd be here "at 12," and then changed the time and told her "noon," and then changed the time again and told her "about 12" so Mom had no idea when she might show up. I tried, but there was no way I could make Mom understand.

Mom went to bed a little early Wednesday night. An hour and a half later she was up and dressed and coming down the hallway asking, "Didn't that girl come by?" I said, "It's not noon. It's 12 midnight. She won't be here for another twelve hours yet." Mom looked out the window but still didn't believe me. I'm afraid I took advantage of her recent, more compliant personality and just said, "You need to turn around, get undressed and go back to bed." She did.

The visit went off fine. The nurse showed up fifteen minutes early and took Mom's history and vitals (Mom couldn't answer what year or season it is although she did get the day and date right and knew Obama is president) and timed her as she got up and walked across the living room and back to the couch. She'll be back Monday and will set up a schedule for the physical therapist.

The CAT scan is scheduled for Tuesday.

Mom, Me and the Doc

So, after our trip to the emergency room on Saturday, we set up an appointment with Mom's doctor for Tuesday morning. I decided I would sit in on this one since I didn't think Mom would be able to explain everything that had happened. I was right. When he asked, "So, what's the problem?" she said "Oh, just the usual," to which I replied, "No, no, no," and explained the situation.

His diagnosis? Parkinson's-like symptoms (weakness, tremor, memory loss, etc.), possible bleeding in the brain. He says the new prescription should have had nothing to do with this. He's ordered a CAT scan, a visit from Home Health Services, and an appointment with a neurologist.

I think we may be making progress. If there is bleeding in the brain, I don't know how they'll stop it. Are there drugs for this? I can't see anyone ordering brain surgery on a 90-year-old woman. If we can stop it, is the damage reversible? All the fight is going out of Mom. She's becoming this very amenable, pliable, almost obsequious personality--which is not my Mom!

My Mom is feisty, argumentative, take-no-guff, opinionated--and I'd like her back, please.