A man is worried about his mother, who has a myriad of health problems.
Mom is never far from our minds.
At the age of 66, mom is in poor health: diabetes, chronic heart failure, breathing issues, extremely high blood pressure, and hypothyroidism are among the many crosses she has had to bear.
Mom is also extremely obese. At five-foot-nothing, she weighs well over 400 pounds. That is not good at all for her health.
We live about ten miles from mom, but we cannot be there as much as we would like: checking up on her, making sure she takes her meds or follows the orders of her doctors, making sure she eats right or takes her shots, etc. We are scared that she will fall or end up in the hospital yet again.
Believe me, it's happened far too often than we would like, the last time being just about a week ago, when her neighbor found her passed out cold on the kitchen floor. Her blood sugar was dangerously low. A trip to the hospital by ambulance was the order of the day. She spent two days in the hospital under strict observation.
Mom also has multiple sclerosis, so her balance is shitty at best. She is supposed to use her scooter, but she refuses to use it. She says it's ugly: she says it looks like an easy chair with wheels. Mom would much rather walk on her crutches. This only adds to her problems.
No matter how hard we try, we cannot convince her that the scooter would be much better for her.
One reason we cannot check on mom is because we both work: I'm a high-powered attorney; my wife, she is a stay-at-home mom and a home health care worker. We have two teenaged children who keep us busy with their sports and other after-school activities. So we have my brother and my sister check on mom; they live a lot closer to her than we do.
Until five years ago, mom enjoyed a fairly good life. Then her MS (and overall health) tanked; she's been on a steady, downhill slide ever since. I just wish our own lives weren't so jam-packed with so much activity (or work): that way, I or Ilene (my wife) could check in on mom on a regular basis! And our minds would be that much less worry-free!
Good she love to use her crutches to walk, exercise is very good. She shouldn't stay in the scooter 24/7 and ten miles is not that far away, unless there is bad blood between the wife and his mom, she should squeeze time in to visit the mom. I know how busy one gets with children. My husband and I both worked and I had five children with cheerleading, football,dance classes, etc. Wore me out. My mom was 152 miles away, I had to make time. My siblimngs who lived 10 to 15 miles away checked on her regular. But, believe me it is not easy. But, the walking is good for the mom's health in this story. Excellent write, Karen.
Good story, as usual, Karen. My wife, although always a thin person died of complications of diabetes at the age of sixty-nine and, unless a major life change is made, if by this time a major life change will really help, this lady hasn't much time left on this earth.
Your friend in Southern California; Mark
I know others who I am very close to, who are obese and has a history of High Blood pressure, Diabetis & heart failure that run through the family, I know what it is like to have this worry daily. My heart goes out to them as they have to accept they have a problem before you can help them.
You made me feel sorry for the mom. I cannot imagine what it would be like to be in such poor health. In the last line do you mean, "And our minds would be that much more worry-free?" Or did I misread something? Merci pour cette histoire, Karen. Amour et paix, ton ami de la C-B, Canada,
A poignant story about letting go of a narcissist in your life. Have you ever been attacked FULL force by a narcissist? It's the closest thing to being stabbed over and over in the back.
Spoken Word
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