And then you go home for Thanksgiving or Christmas and you see the reality and think things are not fine. America, we really value independence, and parents and other elders will downright lie and tell you on the phone that they're fine and they're handling everything and you can just butt out, thank you.
And it felt like a lot of people were moving on without me. It was easy at that time to feel completely alone. That was around the time that I was working at that group home for at-risk teenagers.
Weeks of bad nights later, her mind had lost its grip. She forgot many things, including what you're supposed to do when you're thirsty. I figured once they treated her for dehydration, the gibbering stranger in the hospital bed would turn back into my sane 70-year-old mother whose only real health problem was a little high blood pressure. But I never saw that woman again.
And she ignored the symptoms because, like most women who are nurturers, they're caring about their kids and their husband and their family. They forget about themselves. And that's probably one of the messages I want to get out there. If you feel anything different at all slightly, you know, go get it tested.
4mo ago
Underscored — save the words that stop you in your tracks.
