What a couple of weeks.
Mom fell out of bed two weeks ago and banged her head on the bedside table - we think she got her feet caught in the quilt as she was trying to get up to go the loo. She insisted on not going to hospital so dad phoned NHS Direct for advice. They also spoke to mom and she was actually quite lucid.
Apart from a cracking black eye she didn't seem too bad and wasn't really affected by it.
Then everything changed on Wednesday.
Mom and dad went to visit friends to go out for lunch. Dad noticed that mum had sort of drifted out of the conversation and "zoned out". Anyway, he managed to get her into the car and drive her home. She's done this before and usually after about an hours sleep she'd come round. Wednesday was different.
He called the paramedics and they took her to hospital.
The hospital did an MRI scan and admitted mom while they waited for the results. Dad told me to come home as they were admitting her to a ward and I wouldn't be able to stay anyway. I got a call at midnight to go back. They said she'd got bleeding on the brain and they would be transferring her to Hospital at Coventry.
Nothing could have prepared us for the shock on Thursday morning when they transferred her. The consultant showed us the MRI scan. Mom had actually got 7 bleeds on the right side of her brain. There was no possibility of surgery as mom's heart wasn't strong enough to cope. There was also no point in carrying out the surgery when it wouldn't make any significant difference to mom. So it was agreed they would make her comfortable.
Dad and I moved into the hospital - they gave mom her own room and we were allowed to visit 24 hours a day with no limit on the number of visitors.
Friday night was excellent. There was me, my dad, my brother, his wife, their daughter and my husband and we spent hours laughing and remembering silly stories from the past. Mom would've loved it.
Dad and I were woken up by mom moaning. We realised that this was the next stage. We asked the staff nurse to come in and he confirmed that mom was now getting distressed and he would arrange for medication for her. I popped out to phone my brother and husband. Just as I was putting the phone down my dad came to fetch me - she'd gone.
She'd only been in discomfort for about 10 minutes and slipped away with just my dad there. I believe she waited for me to leave the room. Typical of my mom, protecting me right to the end.
I'm sorry for writing an essay, but I have had so much support and love from everyone on TP and wanted to update you all.
At the moment I am not sure how I feel - empty is a good word I think. :-(
Mom fell out of bed two weeks ago and banged her head on the bedside table - we think she got her feet caught in the quilt as she was trying to get up to go the loo. She insisted on not going to hospital so dad phoned NHS Direct for advice. They also spoke to mom and she was actually quite lucid.
Apart from a cracking black eye she didn't seem too bad and wasn't really affected by it.
Then everything changed on Wednesday.
Mom and dad went to visit friends to go out for lunch. Dad noticed that mum had sort of drifted out of the conversation and "zoned out". Anyway, he managed to get her into the car and drive her home. She's done this before and usually after about an hours sleep she'd come round. Wednesday was different.
He called the paramedics and they took her to hospital.
The hospital did an MRI scan and admitted mom while they waited for the results. Dad told me to come home as they were admitting her to a ward and I wouldn't be able to stay anyway. I got a call at midnight to go back. They said she'd got bleeding on the brain and they would be transferring her to Hospital at Coventry.
Nothing could have prepared us for the shock on Thursday morning when they transferred her. The consultant showed us the MRI scan. Mom had actually got 7 bleeds on the right side of her brain. There was no possibility of surgery as mom's heart wasn't strong enough to cope. There was also no point in carrying out the surgery when it wouldn't make any significant difference to mom. So it was agreed they would make her comfortable.
Dad and I moved into the hospital - they gave mom her own room and we were allowed to visit 24 hours a day with no limit on the number of visitors.
Friday night was excellent. There was me, my dad, my brother, his wife, their daughter and my husband and we spent hours laughing and remembering silly stories from the past. Mom would've loved it.
Dad and I were woken up by mom moaning. We realised that this was the next stage. We asked the staff nurse to come in and he confirmed that mom was now getting distressed and he would arrange for medication for her. I popped out to phone my brother and husband. Just as I was putting the phone down my dad came to fetch me - she'd gone.
She'd only been in discomfort for about 10 minutes and slipped away with just my dad there. I believe she waited for me to leave the room. Typical of my mom, protecting me right to the end.
I'm sorry for writing an essay, but I have had so much support and love from everyone on TP and wanted to update you all.
At the moment I am not sure how I feel - empty is a good word I think. :-(
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