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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

My mom is in the hospital :(

I found out this morning that my mom suffered from what they believe to be a minor heart attack. My mom said that she woke up this morning with what seemed like a bunch of people jumping on her chest. They called an ambulance and rushed her to the hospital. After putting four shunts in to open up some blockage, shes feeling alot better. They plan on keeping her overnight to run some more tests to find out if anything else is wrong.. shes not a happy camper that's for sure, and I have been in tears myself a few times today over this and not knowing exactly what was going on.

I guess part of me is frustrated.. why you ask? This is the SECOND time in just over 5 years that this has happened. The last time they only put in two and now this time they have put in four. The thing is, they told her what she "needed" to do in order to prevent this from happening. Stop smoking is one, and changing the way she eats is another. When she first got out of the hospital, she had altered a bit the way she ate, and cooked, but refused to give up smoking. After a year or so, she was right back to smoking the same and eating the same... and here we are again.

I asked her if she was going to stop smoking and she said she would "slow down" I know this to be a lie as I know how she words things and she yelled at me over this. I know, wrong time to tell her to get things in line, but I am worried that she wont be able to see her grandchildren grow up.

I guess for me, its about her being given a second chance at life with her first "heart attack"... being told to change her life, to live it longer.. and shes right back at the same point and still lucky to be given ANOTHER chance to turn things around. Most people don't get that. I don't want to see her throw this away. If she doesn't change things now, who knows what will happen in the next few years.

So by reading this, I hope that not only will it motivate me to not follow the same steps as my mother and end up where she is (Shes only 55) but hopefully those of you who read this as well, to take your life into consideration, and make that change to living it just that little bit healthier. Sometimes we take our bodies for granted.

5 comments:

Chele said...

Hugs Cheri.

I know your frustration well. My uncle had a stroke over the summer that may have been preventable had he been following his doctor's advice.

My biological father died yesterday morning. We have to have a full body autopsy because we don't know what from. He's been in the hospital since the day after Christmas and too week to do any biopsys. He's another one that was told to do certain things but never did. He didn't go to a doctor unless he was in pain and couldn't take it. He too was a heavy smoker, drank too much, didn't eat right (thought a potato was the only necessary veggie) and was under a lot of stress much of the time. So sad that a man that just turned 62 in November looked like he was 82 and passed when he could have had good years ahead of him.

I hope your mother got a wake-up call this time and will begin taking better care of herself.

Anonymous said...

Cheri,

I'm so sorry to hear about your mother. I have a stubborn mother also. I found that pushing her to change things did not work. I'm the type of person who gets really emotional and I give "tough love" because I care about people so much. I seemed to strike a cord with her when I would calmly say to her you have to be healthy and you can't "leave" before I get married or before I have kids and...so on. And I guess one day she understood and changed things. But I will say as a on and off smoker myself, it is VERY hard to stop. Even when you know its better for your health, you yourself need to be ready to give it up. When you are forced to, you tend to hold a grudge. But anyway I hope all is well with her, and I hope she takes the steps that she needs to live healthier!!!!!!!

trying1009 said...

I'm sorry to hear that Cheri, I hope your mom is doing better... All the best.. Krista

Suie said...

Hugs from me hun. xx

Suie

Cheri22 said...

Thank you guys all for your nice comments, and understanding what I am going through with your own similar experineces. Means alot to me.