S' UP?????

Oh man it is HARD having aging parents....

I haven't shared this with the blogging world, but somehow I felt the need today. It is something that is on my mind and clenching at my heart. Somehow our parents seem forever young and ageless, but slowly as time creeps along and we mature, parents do also. It is not evident to our eyes until we stop and study their faces. My dad is so very fun and full of life!!! He can always find joy in most occasions. His mother and my grandmother had a habit as she got older to be watching tv and fall asleep in her chair. The acorn has not fallen too far from that tree, and just the other day I looked over to my sleeping dad in his chair. His face was totally relaxed and this is when I really got to take a close look at his age. I looked and studied and could not believe that that OLD MAN was my delightful dad. He still had his handsome face but it was saggy and full of wrinkles. His thick wavy dark hair has now turn to thin and greying. Here slept my 77 year old dad.

My 72 year old mother???? Health issues. I have spoken before that she has a slow growing Non-Hodgkins lymphoma..... treatable when it flares up, but not curable. Twenty years is guessed by the Doctors before this will end her life..... TWENTY years is a long time, and I am OK with this!!! But this was not a guarentee that this will be her only aging problem. I guess with lymphoma, there is more of an increase of the likelihood of other immune suppressed illnesses. Last Decemeber I sat in the ER with a a pain ridden momma. Unexplained jabbing pain in her head.... a headache that brought on nausea. After two CT's of neck and head, and a LP (fluid taken from her spinal cord) she was send home with not knowing WHAT was causing all this pain. Fast forward three days later, and out pops Shingles on her right side of the face and head down her neck. She is all cleared up from the shingles and we have dealt with this. Ah, but the fun has not ended there. A week ago I received a call from her about a strange incident that had occured in the middle of the night. This incident effected her speech and moter skills..... but subside after a few hours. There was NO WAY this lady was going to go check it out and she went on her merry way. SUPER BOWL SUNDAY.... After I arrived at my parent's house for the Super Bowl, I notice that Mom had a hard time grasping words and expressing herself. I guess that she noticed a difference once again in her motor and speech on Saturday and then again on Sunday. I am sorry, but the Super Bowl is not that important, and I wisked my mom to the ER. She was admitted with TIA's (mini-strokes) and had a total work-up. The Doctor did warn that if TIA's go untreated, she would most certainly have a major stroke in just a few months. After three days in the hospital and countless of assessments and scans, she has returned home on a heart monitor worn for two weeks and MORE medication...... UGH!!! The initial stress is over and I have had a doozie of a headache.... NO SHINGLES or TIA'S for me though. SO... when it is time for my China trip to get Tate, I am hoping that we have all medicial needs in order and Mom will be traveling healthy and carrying her 5 lbs worth of medicines. I am a little concerned the what if something were to happen to her in China. I have heard of the nightmare hospitals. I guess I will do my usual Scarlette O'Hara behavior and figure tomorrow will be another day.