MY MOTHER NEEDS YOUR PRAYERS

My mother had a stroke yesterday.

Around 1 p.m. I called her and she was short of breath and said she was having one of her atrial fibrillations, which just means irregular heartbeat. She was diagnosed with this about five years ago. She gets very nervous when they happen, but now that she has been trained and knows what they are she is able to get herself out of them. I tried keep her calm and told her to wake up my father (he was napping) so that she had someone to sit with her. I also told her I would call my sister, who is able to keep her calm and goes to all her medical appointments with her. So, I called Genie and she went over there around 2:00 or so. Shortly after that my mother was in the bathroom and Genie said she started "thrashing around" and speaking incoherently, so my father called 911. They called me and I got Richard to come home from work to watch the baby and I went down to the hospital.

The doctors were able to stabilize her and she seemed calmer by the time I got there. Over the next 7 hours and quite a few tests, they realized she did have a stroke. We are hoping it was just a small one, but only time will tell. We aren't sure about her mobility yet, but some of her words were slurred and confused and the right side of her face was a little slack and her eye droopy.

They also know it wasn't a bleeder in her brain, which is great, but a blockage, that they took care of with drugs.

My mother was able to tell who we were and wasn't scared at all, but when the doctors questioned her, she thought she had been in a car accident, she couldn't name the hospital and couldn't find the word for "pen" when the doctor held one up. She was ok with short 2-3 word phrases, but after that it didn't make any sense. We spent the next 5 hours waiting. Sometimes she could explain exactly what she wanted, other times it made no sense at all. The doctors said the strength in her arms and legs seemed to get better, which is a good sign.

I am the eighth of eight children and my sister and I spent many hours on the phone yesterday (Thank God for cell phones.) relaying everything back and forth to our siblings that live on both coasts.

By 7 p.m. last night they had moved her out of the emergency room and up to ICU. They let my Dad stay with her. I got home around 8 p.m.

Now, the waiting continues......

My sister and I are going back over today (visiting hours from 11-8). They are going to put her back on coumadin (blood thinner). She'll probably be in the hospital at least until Monday maybe a little longer and then they will know more as to whether she has to go to a rehab hospital or can have an at home nurse come in. We are hoping for the least amount of hospital time possbile, she will recover much quicker if she can be at home.

There are MANY more emotions and information to share, but for now it helps calm me, just by writing all this down.

PLEASE PRAY FOR MY LOVELY MOTHER AND MY FAMILY. GOD BLESS!