Let me first say thanks to all of you who commented and have asked how my mother is doing. So nice of you. She has been home a couple of weeks now and we are seeing signs of improvement. It’s been almost six weeks since the fall and the hip surgery. Just yesterday they started having her practice walking with a cane. She was mad at first and told my sister, Barb in an angry way ~~ “They are having me use a walkin’ stick!!” She is scared, but everyone knows she can do it!
I just have to tell you a little bit about her stay in the hospital. Barb and I were there A*L*O*T. To keep ourselves entertained we made friends with all the staff and many of the patients who were also in the rehab unit. There was Freeman and Dale and Ralph and a few ladies, but we mostly made friends with the gentlemen. wink, wink ;;)) It was fun to get to know them and to see how they were progressing as well.
Donna and Barb
File Photo
Mom made cookies one day as part of her therapy.
She laughed about wearing a “Bib” or as the staff called it “ a cover-up”. She wanted me to take this picture to show her friend Gloria. They travel together a lot and snack in the car. They always joke about needing bibs so they look fresh when getting to their destination. Those two have more fun together. I wish I had a picture to put in here with the two of them being silly. You can see by the picture Mom was having a hard time keeping a straight face.
Mom had company and then more company and visitors and more visitors and people and more people. One of the therapist popped her head in the room one day and told us that Dorothy has more company than any other patient they had ever had! Another nurse said they were calling her “Hollywood” at the nurses station because she was so popular.
Audrey the Speech Therapist (who we grew to love) said she could always tell Mom’s friends as they were walking down the hallway because they were the classy ones. Here are a couple of her classy friends:
You know what my mother told Audrey? I believe this is a quote from Maxine. “I’m still classy, sassy and can kick assey!" We are still laughing over our prim and proper Southern Mama saying that. :) (Mom needed speech therapy as a result of her last hospital incident a couple of years ago)
Speaking of Southern, Audrey loved the way our North Carolina Mama talks. Part of her therapy for her speech was to turn her head to the right and swallow twice. Audrey had her practice this and Mom would say, “ Chew, Swalla, Swalla, Drink, Swalla” Often times Mother does not pronounce the long “O” with words ending in a W. Audrey said she would have her practice saying these words over and over just so she could hear her say “Swalla”. She said she wanted to have tee shirts made that said “How’s Your Swalla?” but she wasn’t real sure how to spell it!
I’m actually writing these memories here so we will remember these times years from now. Once again along with the tears and frustrations of the accident we can see the good that comes from such an ordeal. Family and friends really are everything.
We are indeed fortunate to have each other to care for.
I hope to be around Blogland a little more often as the days go by and Mother continues to improve. I’ve missed checking in with everyone! Stop by again, okay?
Donna
