Unboxing Life Together

The Good, The Bad, And Everything Between

(c) copyright ViewedNow Network 2023

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WARNING! THE CONTENTS OF THIS ENTRY MAY BE DISTURBING OR UPSETTING TOO SOME READERS. THIS POST IS REFERS TO THE EVENTS OF THE PASSING OF MY MOTHER. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

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The day started off like normal. We liked going to Walmart at the crack of dawn to do our grocery shopping before things became too busy. Even if some days I was dead tired and was in my harley quin pajamas. At least we’d be getting it out of the way and would allow for a few other stops along the way (Biggby), a small grocery store where food was discounted, and maybe Wendy’s to get their superior breakfast. That morning we decided to head to Wendy’s without making other side stops.

After the groceries were put I grabbed the keys and went down to check the mail for the household and came back inside and threw on Stranger Things. Normally not a TV person as I’d rather dedicate my free time to something more productive or something that I would enjoy. Plus it was a show that my grandmother had liked, my mother had liked, and myself included.

Half way through the episode my Grandma, Carol, yells out that I better come in here. To my horror I saw my mother hunched over the table gasping for air, cognitive, but nonverbal. She wasn’t eating or drinking anything so choking was ruled out. Between the panic between the three of us there was a pungent toxic smell that had flooded the house. She had a hernia the size of a basketball so my next thought process was that. Halfway through the call to emergency call to 911 and urging them to come quickly she became unresponsive.

Her eyes bulged out of her head and she was motionless for what seemed like an eternity. Meanwhile both my grandmother and I were urgently calling out her name, but there wasn’t a reply. Out of the blue she gasps out saying she needs to go to the bathroom over and over again. However I lightly kept my hand on her shoulder to keep her there and told her that the paramedics were on the way. Even though the family dog was friendly she had a very intimidating bark she was put into a spare bedroom.

Because my mother was a former foster parent and adopted several kids I stayed at the house since they would be coming home in the next few hours. Thank goodness that they weren’t there to witness the horrific events unfold. Meanwhile my grandma had driven to the hospital so someone was with her. My brain was like a hurricane as I paced back and forth having panic attacks as my anxiety was shooting through the roof. I was in disbelief that this was real and happening. It wasn’t even two weeks past my birthday and we were talking about plans for the big 3-0.

I got a call.

It was my mom. She was fully cognitive and full of life. There was that loving and gentle tone in her voice. There was no signs that there was brain damage or that there was anything wrong. You can’t imagine the sigh of relief as we talked for a good five to ten minutes on the phone.
[ + NOTE: As I type this it just occured to me that a few weeks prior she went into the hospital. Think she was sick, went to get her hernia surgery. I don’t remember what that was but I remember that she was sick of being at the hospital and left. I don’t recall WHEN she went, but knew it wasn’t too far off from this event. ]

She told me that the nurses were coming in now to put a catheter in her and that she’d see me when she gets home later. TEN MINUTES LATER I get a call from my granda telling me that I better come up here as she had crashed again. I couldn’t just run up there since my adopted sister would be coming home in an hour. I called her caseworker. I called two of the babysitters urging them to come here so I could run up to the hospital. Finally the caseworker who lived in the neighbor was able to rush over while I ran to the hospital.

At first the check in desk almost didn’t let me in given how this was the start of Covid. I pleaded with in. Eventually they let me in and I was reunited with my grandma. She had injured her hand and was bleeding during the episode with my mom. Not even twenty minutes later the doctor came in saying that they couldn’t save her and that she was sorry.

I collapsed in the corner and cried while both my grandmother and I were giving calls updating everyone on the situation. Her last words were: “I’m sorry mom.”

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