ChasWolf
Now its Mom. Just when I started to feel things had settled down a bit - I was past most of the very difficult arrangements having to do with Dad's passing - Mom started to get real weak.

I don't know how much she understands about losing Dad. She is senile, and doesn't really talk much. She was never one to express emotions other than angers, and as she has moved deeper into senility, the anger has thankfully gone away.

But that leaves her with just about no emotions to show other than a radiant, beaming smile which still lights up the room when we are able to coax it out of her.

So she started having trouble getting up and down. Then she started having trouble walking on her walker.

Finally, Hope and I couldn't lift her out of bed one morning, so we called for transport and took her to the Emergency room.

She is quite sick, it turns out. Slight fever, bad UTI (infection most likely in the bladder), dehydrated, and a possible stroke.

They can't tell for sure about the stroke, because she had one long ago and I guess they can't tell if there is new damage or old.

They did rule out bleeding in the brain, thankfully.

So she gets to spend Thanksgiving in the hospital. She doesn't really understand all the questions they keep asking her - I keep telling the nurses she is senile, but they don't seem to get it. They come in, rattle off an update, ask her what her pain level is today, and she smiles and nods. They leave, thinking they have accomplished something...

Fun.

Well - she'll be around awhile at least - nothing in her condition is life-threatening. Her heart was goint nuts, and that was a real concern, but as the infection clears and her body gets hydrated that seems to have settled down.

I love my Mom, and I'm trying to 'be there' for her. But I have to admit, it is hard to sit by her side for hours when she is just as likely to forget that I'm there. In fact, I had Hope and Kristen go see her yesterday because I had to drive to San Diego. When I got to see her later in the day I asked if she had any visitors. She thought a moment and said, "no, none."

Oh well. We will do what we can.