The doctor had called the night before to suggest we go
in for an EKG before she say us on Thursday morning. The test run the week
before along with blood work had some abnormalities she wasn’t happy with and
wanted to see if they continued. When I mentioned we would discuss her hip and
leg pain, she also ordered an x-ray of her hips.
So we got on the road early and stopped by McDonalds for
a coffee and Egg McMuffin before going to the lab for the tests. Mom was in a
good mood and enjoyed going out for breakfast, even on the run. I noticed she
was reluctant to drink her coffee even after I had cooled it with ice. She had
been choking on liquids for some time and had really reduced her drinking
lately. It was one of the things on our list to discuss with the doctor. I know
Dad had a problem drinking thin fluids after his stroke so I was familiar with
the issue.
When we got to the lab so early we got right in for the
x-ray. I was planning to wait in the out waiting area and the nurse took Mom
back for the x-ray. Within a couple of minutes she was out asking me to join
them in the back. Mom was disoriented and confused. So I went back to get her
ready for the EKG – putting on the gown and waiting for the technician. The
test went quick and we were off to the doctor’s office test results in hand.
We were early and there was about a half an hour wait. As
always, with waiting, Mom was very impatient. She wants to be going all the
time. Several times she wanted to leave. She got irritated we needed to wait
and upset when other people went back and we didn’t yet. Finally the nurse
called us back and got Mom and I into an examination room. We waited another
fifteen minutes. The nurse buzzed in and out doing blood pressure and meds
history. The time went fast to me but to Mom it seemed an eternity. She
continued to complain she didn’t know why she was there and had to wait.
When the doctor came is she still wasn’t happy with the
EKG results. There were a couple of issues, one old and familiar but a new one
had cropped up. She wanted to change the meds taking away some of the anti-depressant
and anti-psychotic. But she added another Zanax the one that makes her calm and
sleep. So now she will get one at 2pm and another about 7pm. Effectively it
will make her sleepy all day so we won’t be going out much. After discussion of
the swallow issues the doctor ordered a swallow test to be done at the
hospital. We went over all of the meds again and doctor understood the
progression of the congestive heart disease and repeated swelling of the
ankles. It’s something left to me to monitor.
Finally we left and I made a quick stop at the Social
Security office to get information on getting a new card. I had lost mine and
needed it now. It was a quick hop in and out the door learning they didn’t do
them at my west side office. I need to go downtown or north valley to get a new
card. I could see Mom in the car waiting the entire time and she was fine in a
cool shady spot. When I returned she was fine and I thought it would be an easy
stop for me to pick up paint I needed on the way home. Home Depot wasn’t busy
and again I left her in the car with the windows down. It was for all of five
minutes as I ran in grabbed what I needed, went through self check-out and ran to
the car. As I opened the car door she looked at me with a shocked look and
said, “Who are you?” She really didn’t know who I was at that moment. As I
started the car she insisted that this was her daughter’s car and I had to get
out. I drove away thinking getting home was the best bet. We live just across
the road. She continued to objet as if I were a car jacker and she began to
attempt to get out of the car as I drove on to the main road. She failed to get
the door open or her seat belt off and I got to our driveway in less than a
minute. My brother-in-law, Fred, was working on his truck in the driveway next
door. I told her to ask Fred who I was. And as soon as he said I was her
daughter, she said of course I am her daughter, as if nothing had just
happened. I was beginning to think I was
the one who needed a Zanax!
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