I don’t think I’ve blogged about this. Things have been a little crazy here lately, so I might have. Forgive me if I’ve already shared this with you.
\nNine days ago, I was in the kitchen, and Elegante Mother walked up to me and started speaking. I know she wanted to tell me that she had finished using the washer, but what came out of her mouth was a group of completely unrelated syllables.
\nI was watching her intently, wondering if something happened to my hearing. I thought at first that something was wrong with me, but I realized as I watched her, that she knew she wasn’t saying words, let alone the right words.
\nHer eyes got big. I suspect that mine got big in return. The entire episode couldn’t have lasted longer than 15 seconds. A second episode of about 6 seconds or so followed. On the advice of my-sister-the-nurse, I gave her the stroke test. I asked her to speak a simple sentence. I asked her to smile. I asked her to raise both arms. For comic relief, I asked her to stick out her tongue. She was fine.
\nThere’s been no more “speaking in tongues,” but we have seen the doctor. He’s fairly sure that EM had an itty bitty stroke in her speech center. To be sure, she will undergo a battery of tests tomorrow at our hospital, to rule out other possibilities.
\nMy mother is ninety. You’d think I would be preparing myself for the time when she won’t be here. I don’t think that’s possible.
\nMy-sister-the-nurse pointed out to me that I’ve been providing EM with assisted living for some time. I actually hadn’t thought much about it. Yes, I help her remember names of people and things, and on bad days, I help with memories that are dear to her. I am her chauffeur, and I am the nag that tells her she needs to eat more. I am the person who takes her shopping, and helps when she needs assistance going up stairs. She is still in charge of her life, but she’s frail, and I can measure the change these days.
\nI hope, for both of us, that when it’s our time, we go swiftly, in our sleep.
\nAnd I hope that time for her is a long way off, yet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I don’t think I’ve blogged about this. Things have been a little crazy here lately, so I might have. Forgive me if I’ve already shared this with you. Nine days ago, I was in the kitchen, and Elegante Mother walked … Continue reading