Three weeks ago, my mom had a stroke. A day later, in the hospital, she had another stroke. They affected her left side (and thus were in the right side of her brain…so her rationality and communication weren’t affected…thankfully, although she has limited movement in her left leg and no movement in her left arm.) This makes four strokes she’s had. She’s had it rough.
Then, while in the hospital for the stroke, she contracted a severe stomach infection and crippling sciatica in her right leg…precluding physical therapy. I spent hours at the hospital, holding her leg just so, and moving it slightly every time she screamed in pain.
The medical staff doped her thoroughly to deal with the pain, which meant that she was groggy, miserable, and frequently violently hallucinatory. At times, she swore she was dying. At other times, she recognized none of us through the haze.
The scariest part was one horrible night in the depths of the pain and infections when she went unconscious, her face took on a hideous waxy color, her mouth drooped open, and she began breathing loudly and shallowly in what I’ve seen described as a “death rattle.” It was terrifying, but she pulled through.
They got the infections under control (along with the concomitant complications…such as an impacted colon,) they administered a temporary chemical block on the sciatic nerve, and are discussing more permanent options, and they put her back in physical therapy a couple of days ago.
Today, for the first time in nearly a month, she stood up on her own power!
[sub]She cried like a baby.[/sub] 
