So, Since Adam has left...I have missed him on many levels. He's a good friend, I depend on him for alot, It is harder for me to take the initiative to go places alone when I am the one in charge...it was easier to just hop in the car and shadow him, and let him take the lead, and I just Miss Him being here. (Aww...how cute I was just watching a beautiful humminbird feeding from our feeder right outside my RV dining table window) Anyway, I havent done a whole lot, but it sure seems like alot has happened since we've been here...it's been a pretty stressful time recently, because my Mom's health is not doing so good.

A couple of weeks ago...My sister Lulu called me and told me that mom was confused and dizzy and having difficulty speaking. Finesse and I got dressed and jumped in the car and hurried over there to Mom's. She didn't want to go to the hospital, but both Lulu and I insisted she go.

Turns out Mom had been getting these episodes for about three weeks...she shared that with me while Lulu and Finesse were parking the car, she later shared that with the Dr. as well. They did some tests to rule things out...they determined they thought she had signs of dementia. I had been really worried about my mom since I got here to TX. cuz I've noticed that I have to keep repeating myself to her becuase she looks at me like she doesn't understand me, and she's been super forgetful, I've been trying to drive her places cuz I dont think she should be driving much anymore. There is no test to tell you if you have dementia, rather, thru a process of elimination (testing for other things) they determine it is not this or that, so they think she has dementia.

Later on, we got some test results faxed from her Dr. to the emergency room, A Cat Scan of her heart, I had taken her to to San Antonio the week prior to have that test done...she was scared, on our way into the office I turned to look at her and she had a look on her face that I hadn't seen very often, a look of Love and Appreciation that I was there with her and she didn't have to do this alone. I reached for her and gave her a hug and told her I loved her and that everything would be okay, she said she loved me too, so for the test they had to inject dye into her to get a good pic of what was going on in her heart. Cuz she had complaints of chest pains. So now that we were at the Emergency we had those tests faxed over...because later that day we were supposed to go to her Doctor's office to have him give us those results, but now we obviously weren't gonna make that appt. Well, those results showed what at the time they thought was a 1 inch blockage in her Aorta. So because of that they wanted to immediately transfer her and admit her into the hospital in San Antonio.

They took her in the ambulence...Lulu, Finesse and I followed. They ran lots of tests and she was gonna stay overnight and hopefully get some answers the next day. We stayed til visiting hours were over at 9pm. When we left she was in good spirits...I could tell she appreciated that all three of us were there with her.  This is really weird, but she and I had just spoke a few day prior to this...about how Roselie and I and Adam and Finesse were at the hospital constantly day and night everyday that Russ was in the hospital both times, and how that makes a difference on how the staff treats their patients, cuz they see how loved this person is. So I could see the appreciation on her face that we were all there for her. She was very sweet and loving and affectionate with Finesse, cuz alot of teenagers wouldn't want to be in a hospital all day, but Finesse insisted on coming and being there...she wanted to be there for Grandma, and Mom could tell. At 9pm we all kissed her goodnight and told her we'd be there in the morning. She said we didn't have to stay all day tomorrow, but I told her "I dont know about everyone else, but I will be here all day with you."

The next morning I packed up some stuff to take for her stuff from her home that she wanted and stuff from my home that I thought she'd enjoy... from my place I packed up The Daily Text (read it to her when I got there ), my Bible, Watchtowers and Awakes, Harpers Bazaar and Marie Claire Mags, she loves looking beautiful, so I thought she'd enjoy them, some games called UNO and Mille Borne ( the french card game where you give each other flat tires, accidents, speed limits...etc.) I know she loves to play games. A couple weeks ago I told her we had to start playing games again like when I was a teenager, we did it all the time, she said " I love to play, but no one wants to play with me." So the reason I thought to bring some games to the hospital is because with dementia I thought this would be a good way to keep her mind sharp, as well as keep her mind off of what was happening there at the hospital. And also the week before she insisted that I go and do laundry at her home...So I did, and while there, I suggested we play a game. So she brought out Mille borne, I told her best out of three is the Grand Champion...the loser has to buy the winner an icecream at DQ, well Mom won all 3 games. So after I did my laundry I took us to DQ that was alot of fun playing with Mom again and having icecream together.  So I thought this would be a good idea to keep her mind off of things at the hospital...and the wait is usually so long between nurses visits and stuff, I didn't want her to get bored. So while we played games, Lulu did research online.

Later that night the Dr. came in and spoke to us...he didn't have all the test results in, but he wanted her to see a  vessel specialist, Dr. Ti. He came in about a half hour later and did an exam and asked a few questions and determined that she had bad blood circulation throughout, but moreso on her right side...her other dr. had talked about maybe putting her on Cumidin (a blood thinner) not sure of the spelling. But the specialist did not think she needed to be on that, but to continue on her Plavix (a different blood thinner) and before he said too much he wanted to wait on the results of a test that was gonna be performed the coratid doppler ultrasound, that would determine how much blood flow she had going to her head. The specialist also told us the cat scan they had done yesterday revealed that the blockage in her aorta was a hardening of the arteries, and that she had an enlarged Aorta, and if her doctor wanted to put a stint in for the hardening of the arteries, he was gonna recommend him doing it thru her arm not her groin...cuz he didn't think that would be good for her, he thought she may have complications. But of course putting a stint in requires surgery, so they were hoping to not have to do that cuz of her age, 83.

Mom wound up having to stay a second night...the next day Finesse and I went and saw Mom, I had just called and ordered her a nice healthy lunch from the cafeteria, when her Dr. came in and said that she could go home, that the tests were okay and she could go home, He didn't explain much, wasn't very receptive to questions so he just I asked the nurse questions later as to what they were going to do about the hardening of the arteries and what were they gonna do about the pain in her legs and lack of blood flow and she told me they were gonna control any further hardening of the arteries with her plavix and cholesterol medication. They were not going to do anything about the hardening that was already there, bcuz they didn't want to perform surgery on her. She would have a follow up doctors appt in a few days in Hondo...So Finesse and I took her home about 1pm.  

We got her in the house, I put all her stuff away I had taken to the hospital and put them all back in their  proper places, I did her dishes so she wouldn't have to worry about it later, and I stayed and visited for a bit. Then Finesse and I went to McDonalds for a much needed Smoothie and Breather...Whew! It had been such an emotional and stressful and sad 3 days.

She had her Drs appt and they said that the coratid doppler ultrasound she'd had in the hospital had revealed that she only had 50-60% bloodflow to her head, she does still have the signs of dementia that they think were triggered when she had her T.I.A.s ( mini strokes ) earlier in the year. He also said She doesn't really need anyone to live with her full time or anything yet. But it is inevitable eventually. I am very glad to be here right now...for her. Now she has 2 daughters that can help her with things.

She comes to my RV often and I go and check on her periodically and call her. She has come over 2 nights in a row to watch movies with Finesse and I. The first night I put Letters To Juliet in for her...She loved it!

At meeting yesterday, Finesse made a new friend, that Lulu introduced her to, her name is Sarah Gonzalez she is 20 just like finesse will be next month. And Sarah told her that she too had been exhausted looking for work and not getting hired on anywhere, but that she and her mom had just recently been hired on at the Medina Valley  Independant School Bus Garage, as a bus aide...Which is weird, cuz just a few days prior I had mentioned to Finesse "Oh, I dont know why I hadn't thought of this before, Finesse...you should go apply as a bus aide for Medina Valley School District, I used to be a bus aide and it is perfect for you, you start transporting kids to school at like 6am finish at 8am and then you can go out in service  and then at 2pm you start transporting them back to their homes and finish about 4 or 5pm." I dont think she was gonna go apply...til Sarah told her she had gotten hired on and that they still had positions available to fill before August.

After meeting yesterday, Finesse and I went and picked Daniel and Mom up and took them to Bill Millers for dinner, Finesse was so excited about meeting Sarah, they seem to have alot in common. Very sweet girl who loves Field Service like Finesse does. Sarah looks like she is 15.

So today, I took Finesse to the Medina Valley Administration office...she applied, so we'll see what happens. After she applied we went into town and went to the Dollar Theatre and watched Soul Surfer, I cried so much during that movie...I'm such a nut! But it touched me cuz I knew it was based on a true story, and remember hearing and seeing Bethany Hamilton on the news when the shark bit her arm off in 2003. After the movie we went to Wendy's had some lunch and then went to GW's and did some shopping. I got two pairs of Jessica Simpson Patent Leather Pumps that normally run $80 bucks ea. I got them in perfect condition for $6.99 ea. I got a black pair and a red pair, identical shoes just in different colors, they are pretty, the heel has like see thru cheetah print on them, kinda Sexy. Finesse got shoes too...she's been wanting a pair of casual wedge heels to where with everything jeans, skirts, shorts etc. and she also got a Golds Gym workout top, cuz she's been jogging every evening.

And now we are just relaxing in our jammies and gonna watch a movie soon, I'm hungry tho, gotta find something to eat first.

K TTYL

Pic #1 is my Beautiful Mom at 16, and the second pic is My Still Beautiful Mom at 83 in good spirits during her recent hospital stay. And the last pic are of my new Jessica Simpson Pumps LOL